Catatonic Guardian
by BelleDayNight
Summary: Plantations, New Orleans, past lives, and mysterious blue eyes. Will Sesshoumaru find his purpose in life or will he be comatose forever? Can his spirit protect Kagome when she is at the mercy of her stepbrother, Naraku? SesshoumaruKagome
1. CGI

**I don't own Inuyasha**  
  
A/U: There was a fatal car accident that resulted in a coma. Will Sesshoumaru find his purpose in life or will he be comatose forever? Can his spirit protect Kagome when she is at the mercy of her step-brother, Naraku, where none of her friends can reach her?  
  
Catatonic Guardian ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was the night of the Homecoming Dance. It was the last time she would be attending Shikon High School. After being crowned Homecoming Queen, one would think that her night couldn't be any better. The one crowned King had been a friend of her's since grade school. Who better to represent the school than Kagome and Miroku?  
  
The night was magical. At least, it was before her boyfriend got behind the wheel to drive to a friend's house for some more celebration. Her friends had decided that since she was moving to live with her new stepfather and his son that weekend she needed to have a going-away party.  
  
Hojo was a very cautious driver, especially when borrowing his father's Porsche. However, that didn't seem to matter that rainy night. That night another young man was very upset and very drunk. That night would change many lives.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru's face didn't reflect any of the emotions that he might be feeling. It was possible that he could care less. Calmly, he watched as the wine glass slipped from his ex-girlfriend's hand. It shattered upon the marbled floor, staining it with the blood red liquid.  
  
"You can't be serious?" Kagura demanded in shock, her eyes wide in disbelief.  
  
Sesshoumaru didn't even wince at the desperate edge to her voice. "I did not stutter. I see no future in this relationship therefore I deem it necessary to terminate it."  
  
"But, but we have been dating for three years!" Kagura shouted in rage, shoulders shaking in her elevated temper.  
  
Lifting his glass to his lips, Sesshoumaru calmly finished up his third glass of wine. Normally, he didn't drink this much, but the woman was grating on his nerves. "I'll be leaving now. I just wanted to end this relationship in person." Turning on his heals, he began to walk out of the room, intending to drive home.  
  
Two finely manicured hands grasped his shoulders. "But you can't do this! I thought you loved me. I thought you were coming over to propose!" Kagura cried out to the man she thought that she loved.  
  
Slowly, Sesshoumaru turned to regard her. His golden eyes showing nothing but boredom. "I have never made any such claims. Never once did I say that I loved you. Never once did I have any intentions on making you my bride. You will be better off moving on with your life. I know I already have."  
  
He walked out of the mansion in dignified grace. He realized he had just ripped out his ex-girlfriend's heart and trampled on it. But he never had any intention of marrying her. He felt that it was the righteous thing to do, ending it now before her hopes rose too high.  
  
Sighing imperceptibly, Sesshoumaru started the engine of his silver Mercedes-Benz. He felt a little light-headed from all the wine he had consumed, but he was confident that he could drive home. It wasn't that far after all.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The ambulance raced onto the scene. There was a fatal accident on the slick roadways. Two vehicles, a silver Mercedes-Benz and a black Porsche were involved in a head on collision.  
  
The jaws of life were used on the Porsche, but it was too late for the driver. He died on impact. The passenger's left leg was crushed under the weight of the smashed in front of the car. It was shattered and broken.  
  
The driver of the Mercedes-Benz was alive, but unconscious. He was in a catatonic state. The emergency medical staff had no problem pinpointing the cause of the accident though. The alcohol was evidence enough on the white haired man's breath.  
  
The ambulance rushed both the girl and the comatose man to the hospital. The whole while the girl stared blankly in front of her, not even noticing her companion in the ambulance ride.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sango and Miroku rushed to the hospital as soon as they heard about the accident. The pictures on the news station showed the black Porsche that could only have been that of Hojo's father.  
  
They were relieved to discover that Kagome was going to recover, at least physically. When they arrived at the hospital, her mother and stepfather were at her bedside.  
  
"I just can't believe this is happening," Megumi Higarashi looked up at the two seniors with saddened eyes. "Tonight was supposed to be fun and tomorrow she was supposed to join us at the plantation."  
  
Sango walked to the other side of Kagome's bed and took the girl's hand into her own. She looked over at her friend's mother. "We never plan for these things to happen. The night was a lot of fun. Even when Miroku was named Homecoming King instead of Hojo she was having fun."  
  
Kagome's blue-grey eyes opened. She smiled weakly at her family and friends. "I'm not deaf you know. Don't worry. I know about Hojo. I just hate the fact that he died while that drunk driver lived. That's not fair, he should be dead, not Hojo."  
  
Onigumo shook his head at his step-daughter. "Don't say such things Kagome. Life is not fair. I'm sure that the drunk driver would love to take back what happened this night."  
  
Megumi Higarashi looked over at her new husband and gave him a sympathetic smile. She was aware that he had been involved in a drunk driving incident when he was younger. In it he had killed a small child, an instant that he constantly regretted.  
  
Refusing to meet his eyes, Kagome locked her gaze with Sango's dark eyes. "It still isn't fair."  
  
Reaching down, Miroku rested his hand upon the heavily casted leg of Kagome. He tried to smile at her, but it came off weak. "Well at least you didn't have this cast on earlier. It would have been embarrassing for me to dance with you for the King and Queen's Dance with this hideous white casing."  
  
Looking at Miroku with her saddened eyes, the young man's weak grin immediately faded. "If you need any help moving tomorrow, Sango and I will be happy to help in anyway we can."  
  
"That isn't necessary, everything is already moved with the exception of a few personal items. I believe that this move is actually well-timed. If anything, Kagome needs to get away from all this." Onigumo smiled reassuringly at his new step-daughter in a way that sent shivers down her spine.  
  
"Souta and Naraku are already at the plantation dear, I'm sure they are both very worried about you." Megumi Higarashi added to her new husband's comment.  
  
The thought of her step-brother Naraku, sent other unwanted images to Kagome's mind. She knew he was attracted to her, but to be virtually alone with him at the plantation, home in the middle of no-where was a scary thought. At least Souta would be there.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru scanned his odd surroundings. Where could he be? There was an odd white misty fog in all directions. There seemed to be nothing substantial for him to notice. The only thing he could see was white nothingness.  
  
A young child appeared before him. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at the unexpected sight. A snaggle-toothed girl that couldn't be more than eight years old was the only other person in this void with him.  
  
Blunt as always, Sesshoumaru asked what was on his mind, "Am I dead?"  
  
The childish laughter of the young girl dispelled that concept. "No, Sesshoumaru-sama, you are not dead. Not yet, at least." The girl with the crooked ponytail answered.  
  
"I was in a car accident." Sesshoumaru recalled aloud. His last vivid memory was his vision becoming fuzzy and slamming into a black car.  
  
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama, you were in a car accident. A very bad car accident. The driver of the other car died." The young girl clarified for him.  
  
"Who are you?" The young man demanded of the spirit before him.  
  
"I am no spirit, Sesshoumaru-sama. My name is Rin and I am your guardian angel. You are in a coma." Rin explained with a carefree smile lighting her face.  
  
Sesshoumaru could only stare. This time his expressionless face was a result of shock instead of a lack of emotions. "I am in a coma?"  
  
Nodding her head vigorously in answer Rin elaborated, "You are in a coma. But don't worry! You should wake up, eventually. But! The good news is you can still do stuff while your body sleeps."  
  
"Explain," Sesshoumaru's famous one-word responses were in full swing.  
  
Rin shifted her feet slightly as she tapped her chin gently in thought. "Well, you can kind of be like a guardian angel. Only, it's your spirit that you can move about. When you body is all fixed you can wake up and such."  
  
"So you are saying that I can project my spirit to protect others?" Sesshoumaru asked skeptically.  
  
Shaking her head at the assumption, Rin smiled at him. "Silly Sesshoumaru- sama, you can't just protect anyone! You have to protect that girl that you hurt."  
  
Sesshoumaru's white eyebrows knitted together at the reply. "The girl that I hurt? Do you mean Kagura?"  
  
Childish laughter was his answer for a few moments. "No, Sesshoumaru-sama, you are supposed to protect Kagome-chan. You hurt her real bad but it is nothing compared to what could happen to her where she is going." Rin's voice became serious.  
  
Sesshoumaru crossed his arms at the answer. "I see. So I am to watch some girl named Kagome because something bad will happen where she is going?"  
  
"Right, you have to protect Kagome, the girl you hurt earlier. I have to go now. Be careful!" Rin began to fade into the white mist, leaving a confused Sesshoumaru in her wake.  
  
"Wait!" Sesshoumaru lunged for the area her little corporal body was disintegrating at. "I don't understand. How am I supposed to get out of here?"  
  
"Silly Sesshoumaru-sama." The childish voice chided before leaving the young man completely alone in the white void.  
  
A lesser man would have been panicked by now. Sesshoumaru was starting to feel his chest constrict. But then found that the white mists were evolving into something more concrete. He soon found himself standing in a hospital room.  
  
There were several people crowded around a young woman with her leg in a cast. As Sesshoumaru examined the woman he noticed that she looked faintly familiar, but he couldn't place her face exactly. He was obviously in a hospital, perhaps his body was nearby as well.  
  
He walked past the visitors and they seemed to not notice his presence. He stopped at the end of the injured woman's bed. Her blue-grey eyes opened and she seemed to look right into his very soul with her stare.  
  
"This is all your fault," she accused before shutting her eyes once more and falling back into the oblivion of sleep.  
  
Looking around, the dark haired man scratched his head nervously. "She must have been hallucinating there."  
  
"Miroku, you would know. You live in a fantasy world," Sango answered in an attempt to make a joke.  
  
Sesshoumaru merely watched the interactions of the small gathering. It would seem that only the injured girl could see him.  
  
"Kids, we appreciate you wanting to stay by Kagome's side but the visiting hours are over. We'll be leaving as soon as she wakes up. You don't have to stay." Megumi told her daughter's best friends.  
  
"It's no problem. We won't get to see her for several months afterall, we'd like to make sure she'll be alright." Sango smiled at her friend's mother and step-father. The man gave her the creeps, but he seemed to make Mrs. Higarashi happy so he couldn't be too bad.  
  
Sesshoumaru felt himself fading from the scene in the hospital room as exhaustion seemed to envelop his person. Soon he was back in the white misty void with Rin.  
  
"Her name is Kagome," Rin greeted him after he arrived.  
  
"I know. Why am I back here?" Sesshoumaru inquired.  
  
"You are still weak, you must rest your mind." Rin answered before waving her small fingers before his face causing him to slump to the ground. She moved back from the one she was to watch over now. He would be a tough assignment, hopefully she'd be able to handle him on her own though.  
  
"Don't worry Sesshoumaru-sama, I'm sure you'll be able to protect Kagome- chan and find your reason for living at the same time." Rin told the sleeping white haired man before her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: So I'm dallying in the supernatural here, should be fun! Hope you enjoyed this opening chapter! ~Belle 


	2. CGII

Inuyasha could only watch his brother with a saddened expression. All night he had spent with his parents at his sibling's bedside at the hospital. The young man's lavender eyes revealed an unusual gentleness at seeing his older half brother in such a state.  
  
The doctors were not being very optimistic.  
  
Dr. Suikotsu was the best in the field of neurology. And Inuyasha's family most definitely had the money to afford the absolute best. The doctor bit his bottom lip as he shifted his eyes back and forth from his clipboard to look at Sesshoumaru's vital signs being recorded on the monitors.  
  
"He's a very lucky young man," Dr. Suikotsu began, meeting the eyes of the powerful business man with long silver hair that stood vigilant over his eldest son. "The alcohol level in his blood was well below the legal limit, so the worst he can be charged with for the accident is involuntary manslaughter."  
  
"Who gives a fuck about that? I want to know if he's going to wake up anytime soon!" Inuyasha shouted as he rose to feet to glower at the tall doctor. Mr. West put a calming arm around his son's shoulders, but also gave the doctor a heated stare demanding an answer to the question.  
  
Dr. Suikotsu ran his fingers through his thick hair and glanced back at the monitors before answering the question that kept being raised. "I'm afraid that I do not know the answer to that question. Comas are very unique. Some people wake up days, months, or years later perfectly healthy and others never wake up."  
  
"What do all your damn tests say then?" Mr. West demanded.  
  
"You son has only acquired some minor injuries that will be healed within the week. The trauma to his head from when he crashed into the other vehicle doesn't seem very critical. But as I said before, we have no way of calculating when he will awaken." Dr. Suikotsu calmly explained.  
  
For Suikotsu the hardest part of his job was explaining the unpredictability of comas. He really wished his assignment at the hospital would end soon so he could return home to his wife. But, Mr. West had specifically requested his expertise so he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.  
  
Mrs. West smiled at the young doctor with kind violet eyes. Her long dark hair was disheveled from the ordeal but she still held the epitome of calmness. She gently reached for the hands of both her son and her husband and led them back to their chairs. "So all we can do is be here for him, correct doctor?"  
  
The doctor nodded his head. It seemed that the boy's mother was the only one that listened to his earlier explanation of how to comfort a comatose person. Inuyasha moved his gaze away from the sight of his battered brother and looked briefly at his grief stricken parents.  
  
He stood once more and addressed the neurologist. "Doctor, what about the other victim of the accident? Would it be okay if I saw her?" Inuyasha wanted to have visual proof that the accident was survivable. The other driver had died.  
  
"She's three doors down on the left," Dr. Suikotsu replied. "Her parents and some of her friends are with her now."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru was growing annoyed with his situation. He had spent the last two hours floating in his hospital room watching his family interact with the doctor. Rin had released him from the misty realm saying he needed to reenergize. If he wanted to be 'conscious' then that was easiest done in close proximity to his body. Otherwise he needed to rest in that misty realm.  
  
His family was acting pathetically. His father and stepmother were acting weak. His brother was at least acting normal. Inuyasha always was irrational and easily provoked into anger.  
  
When Inuyasha left to visit that girl in the room down the hall, Sesshoumaru decided to follow him. Surely she hadn't seen him before. Still, it would be more interesting to watch how his brother would interact with a room full of strangers than to watch his parents cry.  
  
Inuyasha knocked lightly on the door. It was opened by a young man with his hair in a small pony tail at the base of his neck.  
  
"May I help you?" Miroku asked the strange young man.  
  
Shifting his feet, Inuyasha crossed his arms in front of his chest. "My brother was the driver of the other car. He's in a coma a few doors down. I just wanted to check up on the girl."  
  
Something in Miroku's eyes softened and he opened the door invitingly to the dark haired youth. Inuyasha accepted the invitation, but before Sesshoumaru could catch up the door was slammed in his face.  
  
Sesshoumaru glared at the door for a few moments, willing it to open. Nothing happened. Maybe he was like a ghost now? He moved his right hand towards the door and smirked when it went through the heavy metal door. He then proceeded to walk into the room to observe.  
  
"Kagome, this is the brother of that guy in the coma." Miroku introduced. Kagome raised her head from her pillow to see past her suspended leg. It had been placed in a cast and then secured in a lever system that elevated it.  
  
She smiled at the dark haired young man and waved him over towards her bed. Her mother and step-father didn't look pleased with the youth. "Hello, I'm Kagome. What's your name?"  
  
"Inuyasha. I'm sorry about your leg." Inuyasha told her in a gruff voice. Sesshoumaru raised a brow at his brother's tone. He only acted that poorly when he was around a girl he liked. Sesshoumaru leaned past his brother to examine the invalid closer. She didn't look that special to him.  
  
He certainly wouldn't have lost his ability to speak in front of her. But then again, he would have to admit that she was some what attractive. However, she was still far below his level.  
  
Kagome smiled sadly at the man. "It's okay Inuyasha. It wasn't your fault. Besides my leg is the least of my troubles. How is your brother?" Her blue-grey eyes seemed to flicker over in the direction of Sesshoumaru briefly.  
  
Sesshoumaru felt a surge of guilt in his gut at her words. He was responsible for the death of that boy. It was an accident and wasn't really his fault, but the truth remained that it was his fault because he was driving.  
  
"I'd like to apologize for my brother. The doctor doesn't know when or if he will awaken. But if he doesn't I promise I'll try to make this up to you." Inuyasha declared. Sesshoumaru raised an ivory brow at the proclamation. It was a typical Inuyasha thing to say. Always making promises before thinking through the consequences.  
  
"I appreciate that." Kagome assured him. There was a knock on the door. A nurse popped her head. "I hate to break up the party but visiting hours are over now. The doctor said you could take her home in the morning, but I ask you all to leave now."  
  
Kagome's mother leaned over her daughter and kissed her softly on the forehead. "Be strong dear, we'll pick you up in the morning. I just regret that your bedroom is on the third floor of the plantation house. I'm sure Naraku will help you up the stairs though." She then left with her new husband to wait in the hallway for the other visitors.  
  
Sesshoumaru couldn't help but notice the cringe the young woman gave at the mention of the name Naraku.  
  
"Bye Kagome, I promise we'll come visit you next weekend." Sango leaned over Kagome to give her a brief hug. Then she moved to stand behind Miroku as he said his goodbyes.  
  
"It was a pleasure being royalty with you for one evening. Call me if you ever need to talk." Miroku reached his hand to gently cup her cheek and smiled at her before he turned back to Sango and they walked out of the room hand-in-hand to wait in the hallway with Kagome's parents.  
  
Finally, that left only Inuyasha in Kagome's room. His lavender eyes examined her face closely and he memorized all the bruises and cuts along her skin. "What did he mean by royalty?"  
  
"Tonight was homecoming and Miroku and I were elected the King and Queen." Kagome explained.  
  
Inuyasha nodded his head. "I see, what high school do you go to?"  
  
"I went to Shikon High but I'm moving into the country tomorrow. I'll be having a private tutor then. My new step-father doesn't like the school system." Kagome explained. "Where do you go to school?"  
  
"I'll actually be starting Shikon High on Monday. I had been studying abroad in Japan for the past year. I just moved back. My brother is a Junior in college but now, I don't know what's going to happen." Inuyasha admitted.  
  
Sesshoumaru continued to hide in the shadowed corners of the room but was watching the exchange intently. He couldn't believe that his half-brother was so worked up about him! They didn't even like one another. He wished that he was tangible so that he could beat the crap out of the emotional fool.  
  
"I'm sure he'll be okay." Kagome assured him, her gaze moving to the far corner of her room, causing Sesshoumaru to freeze.  
  
"I guess I'll be going now before that nurse comes back. Do you think it would be okay if I called you to check up on you?" Inuyasha asked as he made his way to the door. He felt extremely guilty that this girl was in such a terrible accident. It was easier to be sympathetic with her. The other two couldn't speak to him.  
  
"Sure, I would like that. You can give me the progress on your brother too." Kagome suggested with sparkling blue-grey eyes.  
  
Inuyasha turned back towards the door and shut it softly behind him as he sauntered back towards his brother's room and his parents. The hospital staff were allowing them to remain after hours because of a few green bills from Mr. West.  
  
After Inuyasha left and the room was empty, Kagome cleared her throat and directed her gaze towards the dark corner on the other side of her room. "I can see you, there's no use hiding."  
  
Sesshoumaru glided across the tiled floor to stand at the edge of her bed. His golden eyes looked her body over skeptically. He hadn't seen her this close up before. Perhaps she was prettier than he gave her credit for, but she was still beneath him.  
  
"You can see me? Can you hear me?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice registering as a faint whisper on the wind.  
  
Kagome shifted in her bed so that her upper body was supported by her elbows. "I can see you, but I can barely hear you. Who are you?"  
  
"What? You didn't recognize me earlier?" Sesshoumaru asked, he had thought she had identified him when she saw him earlier that night.  
  
"I remember your hair and your eyes from the other car. Your brother said you were in a coma. You don't look anything alike by the way." Kagome informed him.  
  
Sesshoumaru allowed himself to float off the ground a foot as he drifted to her bedside on the right instead of standing at the foot of the bed near the raised leg. "He is my half brother."  
  
"So, what are you doing here then? Are you a ghost?" Kagome asked.  
  
"This Sesshoumaru is no ghost, your HIGHNESS." He stated the last word with biting sarcasm as he took great offense to being labeled a ghost, even though technically he had been wondering that himself.  
  
"Alright, then why are you here, HAUNTING me?" Kagome demanded with ire evident in her blue-grey orbs as they narrowed in annoyance. This man was responsible for the accident after all.  
  
"I am not haunting you. I am serving as your guardian for the time being." Sesshoumaru calmly explained, figuring it would be easier to tell her than have her pestering him for the duration of his servitude.  
  
Kagome looked at him thoughtfully, as she brushed aside a strand of her hair that had fallen into her eye. "Am I the only one that can see you?"  
  
"Apparently." Sesshoumaru replied as he allowed himself to drift back to the floor. He really didn't want to spend any more time with the girl, but he also didn't want to watch his family be weak. He walked towards the now unoccupied seat that her mother had vacated and sat down.  
  
"Can you even do anything? Some guardian you are if you can't be seen or do anything." Kagome grumbled closing her eyes and allowing a tear to leak from her closed lid as she thought about the loss of Hojo.  
  
Never having felt guilty before in his life, Sesshoumaru felt extreme angst at this. He had inflicted pain on so many this night. If only he had broken up with Kagura over the phone like he had intended. He had left the house to break up with her in person so he could avoid his younger brother.  
  
He closed his golden eyes wearily. He just wanted to rest. He was feeling so tired. "Look, I never intended to inflict this pain upon you. I do not know what use I will be to you, but I have no choice." He opened his eye to gage her reaction but found himself no longer in her hospital room.  
  
Once more he was in the white mist. Rin stood before him shaking her head at him. "Sesshoumaru-sama, you are not doing a good job at being comforting to Kagome-chan."  
  
Sesshoumaru growled deep in his throat. "Why am I supposed to comfort her? I'm the one that's in the freaking coma!" He angrily cried in frustration.  
  
Rin smiled at him innocently. "You'll discover why later on. You need to rest. You are still too weak to make your observations."  
  
"I will wake up won't I?" Sesshoumaru asked, extremely curious.  
  
Rin appeared to be biting the inside of her cheek in contemplation. "That is not clear yet Sesshoumaru-sama. Your waking up will depend on you and how strong a call to return to consciousness you have."  
  
"Are you implying that this Sesshoumaru is weak?" Sesshoumaru's cracked his knuckles together in annoyance.  
  
Rin merely smiled at him as she began to fade into nothingness. "You must rest and become stronger."  
  
Soon blackness is all the greeted the young man, leaving all his questions unanswered.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
TBC 


	3. CGIII

CGIII:  
  
Kagome raised her hand to rub the back of her sore neck, her waist-length obsidian tresses sticking with sweat against her skin from the Louisiana heat. The long car ride to her new home had been uncomfortable as she tried to spend the time sleeping in the back of the oven-like car. Her mother and stepfather were in the front seat and had done nothing to dispel the complete silence of the journey.  
  
She readjusted her left leg that was stretched out across the backseat. Her mother noticed the movement and turned back to smile at her. "It's nice to see you are finally awake," Megumi smiled warmly at her. She then gestured to the landscape around them. "We are almost home."  
  
"I'm so ecstatic," Kagome commented dryly. She allowed her eyes to scan the passing scenery. "I almost expected to see nothing but cattle pastures. I guess swampland is just as exciting. Oh look, I think I spy an alligator." She pointed towards the Mississippi River that they were driving away from and traveling further and further away from civilization. From the driver's seat, Onigumo sounded as if he had growled at her comment.  
  
Looking back at her reflection from the rearview mirror the older man locked his dark eyes with her blue-grey ones. "Kagome, dear, it would behoove you to not be judgmental about this place. You will love it here as much as I do." Onigumo gave her a menacing smile, which told her not to argue with his declaration.  
  
Swallowing thickly, Kagome plastered on her most sugary sweet smile to appease the overbearing man. "Forgive my negative attitude. Yes, sir, I am sure I will find this place quite pleasant, especially since I will have no friends here. And especially since I am currently disabled and just last night had the love of my life die in a car accident. I'm quite positive that I will absolutely love leaving the few comforts in life I had. Besides, I absolutely adore alligators."  
  
Megumi gasped, covering her mouth with her hand as she stared back at her daughter in astonishment. Onigumi seemed to steam at the ears at the speech and quickly pulled the car over on the side of the road. He pulled off his seatbelt and slammed open his door and moments later yanked open the backdoor, resting his hand non-too gently upon her injured left leg, he leaned in on her. "Listen here young lady; it is not my fault that you were in an accident last night. If I had my way you wouldn't even have been at that ridiculous dance. You would have already been safe and sound here with your brothers. Do not ever make such disrespectful comments." He squeezed her leg, sending a white fire of pain shooting up the limb.  
  
Kagome bit her bottom lip, trying to keep tears from pouring out of her eyes as she nodded mutely at her stepfather. She was wrong, life was going to be worst than she thought. Naraku was the least of her worries if she was going to have to deal with a scary stepfather. At least that ghost hadn't bothered that day.  
  
The next twenty minutes passed in absolute silence, Megumi would occasionally look back at her daughter with a worried expression. She was too afraid of upsetting her new husband that she didn't dare speak out about his mistreatment of her baby.  
  
Kagome's heart fluttered uncontrollably in her chest when the mansion came into view. It could be described no other way. It looked like one of those Gone with the Wind type plantations. Great oak trees and willows adorned the lawn. She also noticed what looked like acres upon acres of crop land. This was truly a southern plantation. All that was missing were the slaves and she would have sworn that she had stepped back two centuries in time.  
  
Onigumo parked the car feet from the front steps of the mansion. He looked over his shoulder at Kagome and gave her a smug grin. "Pretty impressive?"  
  
Kagome met his stare and swallowed her pride. "It is quite beautiful," she agreed truthfully. She looked past her stepfather and noticed the curtains near the front door were pulled shut as if someone was watching them. Then the front door opened and her little brother came running down the stairs.  
  
"Kagome! You're finally here! Are you okay? I wanted to go and see you last night, but they said I had to wait until today. I was so worried!" The eleven year old youth jumped into the back seat with Kagome and wrapped his small arms tightly around her waist, burying his face in the crook of her neck, wetting her face with his tears of relief.  
  
Slowly Kagome wrapped her own arms around the small boy and squeezed him reassuringly. "I'm fine Souta. I'm so glad to see you. You have no idea how much I missed you these past few days."  
  
Souta pulled back from her, still carefully avoiding her injured leg. His light brown eyes were swimming in tears as he looked at his idolized older sister. "I'm just glad you are here. It was getting boring with Naraku. He won't play videogames with me like you will. He says I act childish and need to learn something useful. The only thing he'll do with me is watch Pinky and the Brain. He says that aims to take over the world are admirable and that I should learn something from the educational show." Souta had to stop and take a breath as he stood outside of the car and held his hand out to help his sister to her feet.  
  
Kagome took the pro-offered hand and stood on her good leg, keeping her arm wrapped around Souta's thin shoulder as his arm was on her waist, helping her balance. "I'm sure he was just teasing you." Kagome told him as she ruffled his hair with her hand affectionately. The only good thing about this whole misadventure was that at least her brother would be there with her.  
  
"I'll help you to your room. You're on the third floor." Souta explained as he tried to tug his sister towards their new home. Megumi and Onigumi had taken the bags inside and left the children to fend for themselves. "I'm on the second floor. I tried to get dad to let me be in the room beside yours but he wouldn't let me."  
  
"Don't call him that." Kagome chided her brother. "He is not our father." Souta nodded his head at the observation. The front door opened once more to reveal Naraku. His long dark hair was flowing about his well muscled body. Well muscled body? Kagome's arm pulled Souta closer to her as Naraku approached the pair, an arrogant grin upon his face.  
  
"Well, it looks like you went and got yourself injured, my lovely Kagome." Naraku cooed, as he shoved his hands into his black denim pockets, effectively displaying more of his bare chest for his stepsister.  
  
Kagome offered a false smile at the young man. "You know me, always getting into car crashes on purpose that result in the death of people I love." Souta stiffened under her words. Their father had died in a car crash; they had both been with him and had been unscathed in the fatal accident.  
  
Naraku looked at the pair in amusement. "Certainly, I know of your odd hobbies." He moved out of the way so the siblings could try to make it up the stairs. "No crutches?" He inquired, a bit of actual concern seeped in his voice.  
  
Kagome turned around to glare at him. "Your father decided that I didn't need any from the hospital." She redirected her attention to the front door where her stepfather stood, arms crossed and looking at her disapprovingly. He then looked over her shoulder to his son.  
  
"I told Kagome that you would be more than willing to help her around during her time of misfortune." Onigumi calmly explained to Naraku. "After all, you two do live beside each other on the third floor," he continued as he brushed past the children to retrieve the last of the bags from the car.  
  
Naraku was smiling from ear to ear. "I would be honored to help you, Kagome." Naraku lightly pushed Souta away from his sister and bent down as he placed one arm across the small of her back and the other under her knees. Swinging her up into his arms as if she were light as a feather, Naraku entered the house holding his prize flush against his naked chest.  
  
Kagome closed her eyes, trying to keep the vision of the young man out of her mind. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Wrong! She could feel the well defined muscles of his chest and abdomen rubbing against her with every step he took. She didn't think she could stand three flights of stairs of this. Frantically she opened her eyes to search for Souta, her salvation.  
  
"Souta?" Kagome called. She saw him looking at her apologetically from the ground floor as their mother was explaining something to him. He didn't look very happy with the situation at all.  
  
"Ah, Kagome, I'm sorry I wasn't able to see you at your homecoming ceremony last night. I hear you were crowned queen. I'm not surprised." Naraku commented as he held her a little closer than was necessary.  
  
Finally the third floor had been reached and Naraku had carried her into the first room on the left. "This is my room." He announced as he twirled her around to get a good view of his possessions. His room was rather disturbing to her. It was very dark. The furniture was a dark mahogany and the curtains were a dark purple. The border was what troubled her most and she found herself trying to find comfort in the arms of her enemy.  
  
Naraku chuckled at the woman in his arms. "Something disturb you my pet?" He noticed her eyes had screwed shut once noticing his borders. "Did you not care for the borders of this room?" He inclined his chin in the direction of the silvery spider web design that he had custom made for the room. "Don't worry, there aren't any real spiders. I know about your phobia."  
  
He moved toward a door that was previously unnoticed by Kagome. He shifted her closer to his body so that he could use a free hand and open the unlocked door. He then walked them into a beautiful room that looked ready to house a princess.  
  
Kagome's mouth opened amazement at the beauty. The furniture was made from white birch and the principal colors were silver and green. Naraku walked them to her four post bed where he sat down with her in his lap. He brushed his hands through her hair before she could stop him.  
  
Scrambling out of his lap, Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him accusingly. "I'm not an invalid. And don't touch me." She hissed at him, the beauty of the room forgotten as she realized he lived right next to her. Why couldn't she and Souta have had the adjoining rooms?  
  
Naraku reached back towards her and brushed a strand of hair behind her ears. He chuckled softly as she flinched away from him. "So stubborn." He admonished retracting his hand. He stood from the bed and made his way to his own room, before shutting the door behind him he turned back to her. "This plantation is over two hundred years old."  
  
Kagome sat a little straighter, she was sucker for history and Naraku knew it. He smirked when he gained her attention and walked casually back to the bed, sitting on the far corner from her. He began to play with the frayed edges of the large comforter. A minute of silence passed before he looked back up at her.  
  
"It was rumored that our rooms were created for the master's son and his bride. Silly story really." Naraku laughed to himself as his eyes grew distant. "His bride never saw the room because the young man became cursed by one of the slaves that were jealous that his affections were not for her."  
  
His dark eyes locked on Kagome's. "Do you want to hear the rest?" Kagome nodded mutely, raising the knee of her uninjured leg and resting her chin upon it, looking at him expectantly as she stretched out her broken leg. "Of course you want to hear of it, you're a sucker for fairy tales." Naraku answered for her.  
  
His eyes seemed to look past her again as he tried to remember how the tale went. "It would seem that slave was the granddaughter of the Voodoo Queen. She saw the broken heart of unrequited love in her granddaughter and decided to curse the young man if he refused to give his love to her."  
  
"What happened?" Kagome found herself asking. She may have hated Naraku, but if he was going to be the only face she'd be seeing she might as well try and be civil. This was the first time in their relationship of knowing one another than he had not tried to hit on her. It was a nice change. If it kept up, perhaps she could grow to like him.  
  
"He refused to love the slave. His heart belonged to the governor's daughter." He smirked at Kagome. "Obviously, this was not the right thing to say to the witch. So he was cursed. His intended was found dead the next day. Her body just stopped working. It was as if her soul simply moved on, leaving the shell that once possessed it empty."  
  
"Couldn't it have been a heart attack?" Kagome interrupted. Looking annoyed Naraku shook his head at the guess. "How did they know it wasn't a heart attack?" Kagome asked skeptically.  
  
"Because she was in the arms of her love and told him she felt as if her soul was being ripped from her body." Naraku answered. Kagome's eyes widened at the turn in the story as she leaned closer to the story teller in anxiety.  
  
Naraku shrugged as he stood up. He reached over and gingerly messed Kagome's hair before turning to retreat to his room once more. "That can't be the end!" Kagome cried.  
  
Naraku turned back to her as his hand fell upon the door knob. "No, but I think I'll tell you the rest of the story some other time." He gave her a sad smile. "Call if you need anything, okay?" He shut the door behind him, leaving a stunned Kagome to stare at the door blankly.  
  
Sesshoumaru felt the haze leave his mind as his new surroundings began to materialize. Rin had explained to him that he would be able to go to wherever Kagome was, no matter the distance from his body. But, in such cases he would be unable to venture further than twenty paces away from her.  
  
He found himself in a room of silver and emerald. White birch furniture that looked as though it had stood the test of time decorated the room. He found his charge sitting upon a large four poster, king size bed in the center of the room.  
  
Kagome looked up from the book she was reading. Souta had brought it to her shortly after Naraku had left her alone. He was only able to talk with her for a moment before he was called downstairs.  
  
She felt the presence of another in the room and was not surprised to find the silver haired stranger once more. "You again? Are you haunting me ghost?" Kagome asked with a bored tone. She was fairly confident she was going crazy.  
  
Sesshoumaru growled at the insolent woman. "I already explained to you that I am not a ghost." Kagome shrugged her shoulders at him noncommittally as she returned her attention to her book. Frustrated, Sesshoumaru found himself hovering beside her with his fingers wrapped around her throat, only to find they slid right through her flesh.  
  
Kagome looked up upon feeling a chill on her neck. She noticed Sesshoumaru's fingers disappeared inside her throat. "Trying to kill me so I'll be a ghost like you?" She asked as she casually turned another page on the book.  
  
Annoyed, Sesshoumaru removed his hands from uselessly strangling her. He sat upon the mattress beside her, it moved under his weight. Kagome looked at him stunned for a moment and then down at the mattress. She pressed her hand where his body indented the mattress, effectively moving her appendage through his non-corporal body.  
  
"How did you do that?" Kagome asked, setting the book aside and giving Sesshoumaru her undivided attention. "What kind of altered reality is this?"  
  
Sesshoumaru's golden eyes were focused on her hands. They were currently resting inside of his spiritual projection. "I have no idea how I am causing your bed to sink. It is rude of you to keep your hand inside of my body though."  
  
Kagome took back her hand and placed it in her lap as she regarded him curiously. "Well you were attempting to strangle me." She accused.  
  
Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I was merely testing to see if it was possible." He stared at her with a bored expression. "Unfortunately, it was not possible and I am still stuck with you."  
  
"Why are you here then? If I had to pick a guardian angel, it certainly wouldn't be you." Kagome told him matter-of-factly as she scooted back to rest against her headboard and regard her unnatural visitor.  
  
"Indeed you would. I'm no angel and if I were I would certainly choose someone of intelligence and beauty, not someone of ignorance and plainness such as yourself." Sesshoumaru began to inspect his nails, trying to ignore the hurt expression that crossed Kagome's features at the insult. He was feeling too proud of himself for getting the last barb.  
  
Kagome looked away and sighed. "I know. There isn't anything special about me. I never knew why so many people liked me. I'm just an ignorant school girl who is lucky to have not been terribly disfigured in the two fatal car accidents I've been in." She gave him a sad smile before closing her eyes and resting her head on the board behind her.  
  
Sesshoumaru's mouth opened slightly at her confession. Did she truly think what he said held truth? "I didn't say you were ugly. I just said plain." He defended. Kagome smirked at him inceptively.  
  
"It's okay, we can't all be super model material like yourself." Kagome yawned, flashing perfect white teeth in the process. "At least I'm not in a coma though."  
  
Sesshoumaru stiffened at the well played insult but before he could answer another person entered the room. Standing in pair of black denim jeans, holding open a side door as if he owned the room stood a man that caused the hair on Sesshoumaru's neck to rise.  
  
Naraku scanned the room as he opened the door all the way and made his way beside Kagome. He laid his cool hand upon her forehead. "I heard voices. Who were you talking to, Kagome?" Naraku's eyes landed upon the spot that Sesshoumaru was sitting but did not linger there more than a millisecond.  
  
Kagome smiled nervously as she pushed aside his hand. "It's nothing Naraku. I was just talking in my sleep. Thank you for your concern."  
  
Naraku nodded at her answer, but it was clear he wasn't buying it. "Just promise me if something weird happens you'll tell me." He looked around the room nervously before settling back upon her small frame on the large bed. "Those stories could be true and this mansion could be haunted."  
  
Sesshoumaru snorted at the comment. "Ghosts?"  
  
Kagome shot him a glance to which he merely raised his brow. Naraku noticed her movements and placed his hand back upon her forehead. "I think you still have a fever Kagome. You need to eat some soup or something. I hate seeing you like this. Normally your beauty radiates the entire room." He complimented, without a trace of falsehood.  
  
Kagome looked at him in disbelief before answering. "Naraku, if you were in pain from a broken fibula and just lost your best friend in a terrible accident and had spent most of the day crying you wouldn't look very good either." She looked away from both him and Sesshoumaru. "Do you think you could call Souta up here?" She asked her voice meek, unlike the normal confident tones she used.  
  
Sesshoumaru could feel himself being pulled back away from the strange young woman. Guilt racked his brain at the realization that the reason she didn't look well was because she had been grieving.  
  
Before he even realized he had returned to the hospital, Sesshoumaru found himself hovering behind his younger brother, peering over his shoulder. He was with those two friends of the young woman and sitting beside his comatose body. He looked at his body in disgust for a moment. How useless it was being, just laying there sleeping.  
  
Inuyasha was pointing to the people in the pictures. "This was after you two had been crowned?" He asked the one named Miroku.  
  
"Yeah, don't we look hot?" Miroku asked, a large grin of arrogance upon his face. Sesshoumaru found himself looking down at the picture out of curiosity. Before him, on a 4x6 stood two absolutely stunning individuals wearing formal attire with crowns upon their heads. Rather grudgingly he would have to agree with the young man's assessment of the couple.  
  
However, it was the woman that attracted his attention. It was the same one that he found himself bound to. But, in this picture she was absolutely drop dead gorgeous. What was the difference?  
  
It was then that he realized what the difference was. In this picture she was happy. She was smiling. Ever since he had entered her life she had been unhappy and grieved. He looked back at his unmoving body, watching the steady rise and fall of his own chest. He now understood what he was supposed to do in order to wake up. He was supposed to make her smile again.  
  
TBC 


	4. CGIV

**CG: Chapter IV**

Naraku sat at his desk filling the pages of his journal with all the thoughts running through his mind.  His script flowed over all the yellowed pages, yellow from age.  He leaned back in his chair as he shut the leather bound book and clutched it to his chest. 

That journal was the key to his sanity.  He couldn't even remember what life was like before he poured his every thought into the item.  It had become an extension of his soul.  He allowed his eyes to wander about his room.  They settled upon the Rosemary Topiary in the corner of his boxed window seat. 

Gently, he set aside his journal and rose to his feet to make his way to that plant.  He had been growing it for nearly as long as he had owned his journal.  It was amazing how attached one can become to inanimate objects.  He sat upon his window seat, one knee tucked under his chin and his arms wrapped loosely around his raised leg as he stared out his open window and enjoyed the aroma from the Rosemary.

It was quiet outside.  He couldn't even hear any birds.  That thought disturbed him for the only sounds that greeted his attentive ears were the quiet sobs of Kagome.  He could hear her crying as she tried to sleep.  How he longed to go and sooth her pain away.  He knew that his father had already made her uncomfortable and he didn't want to risk alienating her from him anymore than she already was.  He was well aware that she wasn't comfortable around him yet. 

Naraku was all too familiar with just how lonely this plantation could be.  He had spent most of his life here after all.   He was also aware that Kagome would soon be even more upset once his father told her of his plans for her little brother.  The big sister and little brother were too close and that was about to be resolved.  He only hoped that he wouldn't be blamed for her pain.  All he wanted was to be around to offer compassion.

Silence soon reverberated throughout the room.  Naraku leaned back to relax and closed his eyes.  Kagome must have fallen asleep finally. 

################

Pulling the covers snug against her body, Kagome relaxed into her mattress.  After trying miserably to fall asleep she finally had and was having the most fantastic dream.  She was loath to wake up though she knew dinner would soon come and force her from her blissful slumber.

_He_ was in her dreams this night as well. For as long as she could remember, he had always haunted her dreams.  It was as if he represented a memory so engraved within her heart that he would find his way into her subconscious.

_He was smiling at her again, that charming, arrogant fanged grin.  His long, obsidian tresses were tied back in a low ponytail at the base of his neck.  He was only wearing a pair of underpants as he was treading water in the creek waving for her to join him.  She looked down at her own clothes, a Victorian gown was tossed upon the forest floor near her feet and she was stripped down to her own white underclothes.  She was hardly dressed like the proper lady that her station would suggest._

_"Come on Kagome, I'm getting lonely without you," He pleaded, ice blue eyes lighting up with joy each step she took closer to the water's ledge.  _

_"But, I'll be all wet.  Father would not approve of such behavior," Kagome found herself answering as she tottered on the rocky edge, toes dipped into the refreshing waterhole._

_The young man swam to the shore and latched onto her ankles.  "Let's not let the governor dictate everything in our lives, love." Before she could answer he had jerked upon her ankles and sent her tumbling face first towards the water and him.  He caught her in his strong arms and pulled her against his warm chest, lightly kissing her temple._

Kagome's dream was interrupted, as she felt the outside world disturbing her tranquility.  In denial of the real world, Kagome tried to pull the covers to cover her head and block out the disturbance.  Her emerald bedspread protection was stolen away in one sharp tug by the intruder.

"Kagome, wake up." Naraku instructed, shaking her shoulder with his free hand, while the other held the bedspread.  "It's dinner time."

Sleep clouded blue-grey eyes opened begrudgingly and peered into Naraku's dark pools.  "Why must you be so rude?  Can't you tell I was sleeping?  It was a nice dream." Kagome retorted, turning her back to Naraku and placing a pillow over her head in a poor attempt to get back to her dream man.

Naraku snatched up the pillow and tossed it across the room.  "Get up Kagome.  We have guests.  I'll give you ten minutes to get dressed then I'm coming in whether you are ready or not to carry you down stairs."  After speaking his bit, Naraku retreated from the room, leaving Kagome to her own devices.

The door shut softly behind him and Kagome groaned as she sat up in the bed.  How long had she been asleep?  She looked over at the clock on the side of her bed, but was disappointed to find it wasn't plugged in.  Didn't do much good just sitting there without electricity coursing through it.

She looked at the closet that seemed so far away.  Ten minutes later would probably find her half dressed.  She shuttered at the idea of Naraku catching her in the middle of changing clothes.  Determined not to be caught in such an embarrassing situation, Kagome hopped towards the wardrobe, feeling rather representative of a flamingo.

She looked down at her clothes, a pair of shorts and t-shirt.  It wasn't exactly dinner guest material.  There was no way she could wear pants.  Shorts weren't very proper either.  Sighing, she reached for a beige sundress with a dark blue Hawaiian floral design.

She pulled off her t-shirt, revealing her lavender bra before trying to step out of her shorts.  She obviously hadn't thought this through very well, because as she tried to jump out of the shorts leg on her good foot she collapsed to the hard floor with a great thud.

"Ow!" She cried, rubbing her sore rear as the offending shorts were now dangling from her big toe.  Her left leg had been jarred in the impact and after a few moments of realization she could feel the pain running down her limb.  Her face contorted in a grimace as she tried to press down on the cast in hopes of alleviating the pain.

She heard a snort behind her and turned to see none other than her white haired ghostly stalker.  "Is it your hobby to sit around half naked stretching?" Sesshoumaru inquired, his face was locked in a bored expression.  He tried not to think of how enticing she appeared before him, clad in nothing but her undergarments.  Her well toned body was something that could inspire pleasant dreams for most of the male species. He couldn't help it as his eyes caressed places they shouldn't.

"NO!  It is not my hobby you useless jerk," Kagome ground out, face red in anger and tears threatening to spill from her eyes in frustration.  The door between her and Naraku's room was pushed open and she looked through Sesshoumaru to see Naraku with a worried expression.

Naraku's eyes widened at the sight of Kagome looking utterly defenseless and yet strangely alluring in her near nakedness.  He ran to her side, and placed his calloused hands gently upon her smoothshoulders, helping her to sit up straight.  "Kagome, what happened?" He couldn't help but notice the feeling of a tingling sensation in his fingertips where they touched her skin.

Kagome bit down on her bottom lip and diverted her gaze as her cheeks burned crimson under the scrutiny.  "I was trying to change," she mumbled in response feeling an unwelcome heat radiate through her shoulder.

Naraku surveyed the sleep crumpled articles of clothing and the sundress that was beside her on the floor.  He picked up the sundress, releasing her shoulders in the process.  "This is a beautiful choice."  He draped the dress over his arm and stood up, extending his hand to Kagome.  His muscles jumped as their hands touched**.**

She took the hand and rose to stand on her good leg.  "Let me help you get dressed, I won't tell anyone about this little incident, okay?" Naraku offered, trying to lessen the reddish stain upon Kagome's cheeks.  He savored the thought as he reached out to touch her.

Kagome nodded her head and raised her arms high above her head for Naraku to slide the dress over.  Naraku took the bottom of the dress and slipped it over her arms, running his fingers along her body in the process, causing unwanted shivers to race throughout her limbs at the feel of his touch.

Naraku continued to pull the tight sundress down Kagome's body, brushing away the non-existent wrinkles in the process as he inadvertently ran his fingers down the length of her body.  Kagome closed her eyes at the sensation.  His fingers lingered over her hips for a moment before continuing their trek down her calves.  Her eyes snapped open when she felt the warmth of Naraku's body abruptly disappear from hers. 

He was looking at her with a bewildered expression through the transparent form of Sesshoumaru.  The guardian who now stood in between the two looked quite peeved as he glared down at Naraku with a ferocious gleam in his golden eyes. 

Running his fingers nervously through his long, pitch black hair Naraku offered an apologetic smile.  "Sorry, I didn't mean to unnerve you." He couldn't help it. Once he had touched her he had wanted more. Inwardly, he berated himself.

Kagome waved her hands at him, more to get rid of the heat she felt her body was releasing than to placate him.  "No, no it's okay.  It's not a big deal.  I know you didn't mean anything.  You were just getting out the wrinkles, right?"

"Right, I was getting out the wrinkles." Naraku agreed, his voice steady and confident even though he knew he was lieing.  He ran his own hands across the breast of his dark blue silk button up shirt.  He grinned up at her.  "I like your choice of dress.  It matches my own."

Before Kagome could answer, Naraku walked through the misty form of Sesshoumaru, causing his image to distort before Kagome's wide eyes.  He then leaned down to pick Kagome up bridal style once more, crushing her to his chest.  She rested her ear against his heart, casting Sesshoumaru a bored look of her own.

"Who are our guests?" Kagome inquired as Naraku began to make his way down the two flights of stairs from their third floor residence. 

"Our private tutor will be joining us for dinner and her husband a world renown Neurologist, Dr. Suikotsu."  Naraku answered as he carefully began his walk down the stairs.

Sesshoumaru was gliding down the stairs beside them.  "Suikotsu is the name of my Neurologist at the hospital," he informed Kagome.  "Perhaps it is the same individual.  Ask him what he knows of him."

Kagome remained silent, not wanting Naraku to think she was anymore insane than he already did.

Angry at being ignored, Sesshoumaru decided to resort to threats.  They always worked for him before.  "Ask him or else as soon as I wake up I'll be sure to tell everyone of your little incestuous relationship with your stepbrother."

"So, Naraku, do you know the name of the Neurologist that worked with the reckless driver that caused Hojo's death?" Kagome inquired, resting her chin against the crook of his neck and casting Sesshoumaru a hateful glare.

Naraku paused and stood still for a while as he tried to think over what all he knew about the doctor.  Shrugging, he answered, "I'm not sure.  That family seemed rather rich and I hear he's the best in the country.  He did say he had a long night at the hospital last night, so chances are he's the same guy."

Sesshoumaru's fists clenched and unclenched at the insolent woman.  How dare she insult him!  As soon as he could get his body to work he would teach her some respect.  Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he followed silently.  He had to remind himself he had a purpose to following her around.  He was supposed to make her smile.  The only thing that was happening though was he was getting pissed off.

Naraku reached the ground floor shortly afterwards and Souta was waiting at the base of the stairs for them.  He smiled when he saw Kagome and walked beside them as they entered the kitchen.

"Are you feeling better sis?" Souta asked, looking up at Kagome.  She smiled down at him and nodded.  The adolescent visibly relaxed after that. 

Sesshoumaru observed the exchange with detached interest.  Had his little brother ever been concerned about him like that?  He raised his fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose.  Yes, his little brother was worried for him now although he acted like he hated him before hand.  He had seen Inuyasha with his own eyes waiting at his bedside, hoping he'd wake up.

Useless comatose body.

"Ah, Naraku, thank you for bringing down Kagome.  Have a seat.  I'd like for you to meet Dr. Suikotsu and his wife Professor Kikyo."  Onigumo introduced as he gestured for the children to seat themselves.

Dr. Suikotsu and Professor Kikyo both smiled politely in greeting, but it was obvious that they were both drained.  Their faces were ghost white and it seemed a strain was weighing upon them.

"Professor Kikyo, you will be tutoring Naraku and Kagome three times a week as was our agreement." Onigumi explained as he began to slice the meat the cook placed before him. 

"What about Souta?" Kagome asked, looking over at her little brother who had been oddly quiet ever since they had entered the room with Onigumo in it.  Her mother was being oddly quiet as well. 

Souta shifted in his seat.  "I'm not going to be getting school here," Souta answered, looking down in his lap.

Onigumo slammed his hand upon the table, upsetting the plates and silverware so that they clanged together.  "Souta, what did I tell you about speaking to people.  Look them in the eyes or else they will think you are weak."

Suikotsu and Kikyo exchanged concerned looks. Souta swallowed thickly and then looked Kagome directly in the eye.  "Father," he bit out between clenched teeth, "has decided it would be in my best interests to attend boarding school.  He believes it will help me develop discipline."

Kagome looked past Souta and towards Onigumo.  "If you don't want him being educated the same as Naraku and I then how about you allow him to move back home.  I'm sure Kohaku's family wouldn't mind if he lived with them.  If you were just going to send him to boarding school you can send that money to them for his room and board.  He'd enjoy that a lot more." Kagome argued.

Onigumo's eyes seemed to flash red for a moment, sending ice coursing through Kagome's veins.  Sesshoumaru noticed the aura of distress radiated off her and moved to stand behind her, placing his hands upon her shoulders.  Her eyes flickered up to him for a moment before resettling upon the tyrant that was about to explode at her. 

"Do not think to tell me what to do with my family girl.  This is your home now.  You shall do as I see fit.  If I believe that boarding school is best for Souta that is what he shall do.  Do not seek to undermine my decisions." Onigumo sat back in his seat and calmly sliced his meat, as if no angry outburst had ever escaped his control.

Sesshoumaru lightly squeezed Kagome's shoulders offering support.  He could feel fear was the over riding emotion in her right now and was a little glad that he was able to combat that somewhat.  He offered his strength to her and was pleased that she had actually accepted it.  Maybe she'd start smiling and he could wake up soon.

Naraku cleared his throat, hoping to ease some of the tension at the dinner table. "Dr. Suikotsu, did you happen to be involved with the other person in the accident from last night?"

Sesshoumaru looked over at the man with all the attentiveness he could muster, the pressure he was exerting on Kagome's shoulders slightly increasing.  She winced under the extra weight and he released her absently from his grasp.

"Actually yes, I believe his name is Sesshoumaru.  I'm not really supposed to talk about such things but I found his case quite confounding.  There appears nothing wrong with the young man.  I have exhausted all my knowledge trying to figure out what could possibly cause him to remain in his catatonic state." Dr. Suikotsu shared as his wife held his hand under the table squeezing it gently. 

"He's been rather stressed out about this.  You'll have to forgive us if we leave early but neither of us got much sleep last night.  Mr. West is a very demanding man and wanted to make sure his son was well cared for," Kikyo explained.

"Of course, a father only wants what is best for his son." Onigumo declared staring at Naraku with some sort of hidden meaning. 

"I noticed that you were carried into the dinning hall.  Do you not have any crutches?" Dr. Suikotsu inquired of Kagome.

Kagome looked over at Onigumo before answering.  "My stepfather felt it would be better for me to not use crutches and to depend upon the aid of my stepbrother.  So far Naraku has been kind enough to help, but I really don't like the idea of depending on someone else for my transportation."

"Oh, well I have an extra pair of crutches in the trunk.  I had meant to bring them over to Kikyo's little sister, Kaede.  She sprained her ankle the other day."  Suikotsu explained. 

Sesshoumaru leaned over to whisper in Kagome's ear, although he was unsure of the point of that since no one else could hear him anyway.  "Ask him what he thinks of my coma."

Kagome shook her head slightly, already knowing that there would be little else the good doctor could add. Sesshoumaru gripped her upper arms and began to squeeze, digging his nails into her flesh.  Small trails of blood began to drip from the mysterious puncture wounds that appeared on her upper arms.

Naraku leaned over, placing his hands over the suddenly appearing wounds, and disturbing Sesshoumaru's spiritual projection causing him to fall back.  "Kagome!  What is happening to your arms?" Naraku cried, looking around in search of an invisible foe.

Kagome looked down at the bloody hands Naraku showed her.  His palms were covered in her blood.  She shook her head in disbelief.  How could Sesshoumaru have hurt her?  He wasn't real.  He was just a figment of her overactive imagination derived from the guilt she felt from Hojo's death and that other man's coma.

Sesshoumaru stared down at his fingernails that had a coat of blood underneath them.  He looked in silent awe at the wounds that appeared on Kagome's flesh.  That was the last thing he remembered before his world turned black and he reappeared in the accursed mist.

Standing before him was an extremely angry individual.  He stood at an imposing height, his ice blue eyes on fire with an internal fury.  "Do not dare hurt my Kagome.  I will make sure you spend the rest of eternity in purgatory if you so much as misplace a hair on her head." 

Sesshoumaru regarded the angry man with an aloof attitude.  "I don't see how this is any of your business."

The mysterious man smirked at the comment before he began to fade away into nothing, his voice echoing into the darkness Sesshoumaru was abandoned in.  "If it involves her, it involves me more than you'll ever know."

Once again, Sesshoumaru found himself in the misty void with no company but his own tormented thoughts and confusion.

#############

**TBC**

_Your reviews are appreciated as they do inspire me to write.  I'm all about instant gratification.  I'd like to thank my dear friend Amy for her suggestions on this chapter.  It makes me happy to know other's love my stories as much as I do!  Belle_


	5. CGV

**Catatonic Guardian: Chapter 5  
**  
Naraku was sitting across from Kagome on her full sized bed as they both were flipping through the books Professor Kikyo had left for them. He couldn't help but look up and stare at the red marks marring her upper arms. They looked like scratches made from human fingernails, but how was that possible?  
  
He flipped a few more pages in the Literature book. It was comprised mostly of Shakespearean works. As if he wasn't familiar with those works! He set aside the book when he noticed Kagome had fallen asleep with her book still propped up on her stomach.  
  
Reaching over he gently removed the book. He smiled down at her. She looked a lot better now. She had become greatly disturbed at dinner when those claw marks had appeared. Seeing her confusion at the rising welts he took pity on the young maiden. A fierce protectiveness came over him, as he knew all that she had suffered through so recently. He probably understood more than anyone else for that matter.  
  
He shook her shoulder gently. Sapphire orbs opened slowly and met his dark gaze. "Naraku?" Kagome asked confused.  
  
He sat back away from her. "You fell asleep. I hope you weren't planning on learning by diffusion. It's a very impractical method."  
  
Kagome offered a weak smile. "No I suppose that isn't a good way to learn." She turned to gaze out the window. Her thoughts mixed between her guardian who wasn't present and the mysterious blue eyed man who haunted her dreams.  
  
"We don't really need to be looking over these now anyway. Kikyo won't even be coming to teach us until at least two weeks from now. Is there anything you'd like to talk about?" Naraku inquired, looking pointedly at her scratch marks.  
  
Kagome followed his gaze. "Actually, I'd like to hear more about the master's son and the governor's daughter."  
  
Naraku looked away and snorted slightly. "Would you now?" He asked, not entirely surprised.  
  
Kagome sat up, drawing her good knee under her chin as she stared at him intently, hoping to silently encourage him.  
  
Heaving an exasperated sigh Naraku looked at her with a rolling of his eyes. "Going to sit there staring at me until I tell you what you want?"  
  
A smirk was his answer but Kagome remained silent. The two locked stares, neither willing to back down. Naraku really didn't want to tell her anymore. He didn't think he was prepared for such a thing neither was she.  
  
"What do you want to know exactly?" Naraku broke the silence. Kagome grinned triumphantly at him.  
  
"Well obviously the ending is tragic but I would like to know the beginning." Kagome started. "How did they meet? Were they in love really? Was it an arranged marriage? Were they friends?"  
  
Naraku waved his hands in front of her face to stop her rapid-fire questions. "Woah, woah, woah, too many questions for my meager little male brain to handle."  
  
Kagome frowned at him. "Yeah right, you're probably one of the smartest people I know."  
  
Naraku tilted his head slightly before smiling confidently. "True, I do have a sort of criminal mastermind type quality about me. You asked how they met. They were both young. She was around 16 and he was around 17. They met when her father had recently began his reign as governor in this parish. It was at one of those formal parties where parents try to establish alliances through the marriages of their children."  
  
"So he and she met at the dance and fell in love?" Kagome interrupted.  
  
Naraku moved his position on the bed to sit beside her at the headboard. She watched him silently as he leaned back and shut his eyes. "Please don't interrupt. I do tend to lose my place and I hate repeating myself."  
  
"Sorry," Kagome replied softly.  
  
"It's okay, you didn't know. But now you do so don't do it again," he joked earning him a rueful glance from her. "So back to the young master and the governor's daughter. His father had hassled him the entire evening trying to pawn him off on various females who were the daughters of important dignitaries. He wasn't interested though and had escaped the insanity of the party as soon as he found the chance."  
  
Naraku's eyes closed as if he were reliving the events himself. Kagome shut her eyes as well hoping to be able to picture the scenes better. "He wandered into the gardens and noticed a young woman there. Her dark obsidian tresses and sapphire eyes drew his attention when she happened to look in his direction, his heart practically melted."  
  
"Wait, I'm sorry for interrupting, but how do you know his heart practically melted?" Kagome demanded opening her eyes and turning to interrogate the storyteller.  
  
Naraku crossed his arms and looked at her annoyed before answering. "It makes the story better if I add in details like that. Now be quiet and let me finish." His voice had lost its normal soothing tones and his words were clipped in his aggravation.  
  
"But how do I know what is truth and what you are fabricating if you embellish the story outside of the facts?" Kagome demanded, equally annoyed.  
  
Naraku closed his eyes again and tried to relax his temper that was rising. "Do you want to hear the tale or not?" He asked calmly.  
  
A few moments of silence passed before he felt her relax beside him against the headboard. "Sorry to disturb your concentration, do continue."  
  
"Thank you. As I was saying his heart had melted and he approached her. Neither had any idea who the other was. They spent the remainder of the evening strolling in the gardens and sharing their dreams for adventure and laughing. Never before had he met someone he could completely relax around. It was as if they were meant for one another. He was about to ask where he might call on her when the competition entered the picture." Naraku paused, trying to decide where to take the tale from here.  
  
"Oh come on! You can't stop there!" Kagome pleaded when the silence seemed to drag on.  
  
Noting the annoyance she had for cliffhangers he decided to add some now but to continue the tale later on. "She already had a fiancé. Apparently the two had been childhood best friends. Her father wasn't too happy since the boy was the son of one of his bodyguards but after her mother had argued the case he had consented in allowing the engagement."  
  
"What did he look like? What did the master's son look like? You've only described the girl, I could care less what she looks like." Kagome told him irritated; she already had a picture in her mind. She could see herself sitting on a bench in a garden Naraku sitting beside her and that blue eyed mysterious man approaching her. She shook her head of the images as she waited for Naraku to give some descriptions so she could picture that instead of what was already in her mind's eye.  
  
"I'm not feeling very well. You'll have to excuse me." Naraku apologized as he rose from the bed. He leaned down before walking away and placed the back of his hand upon her forehead. "At least you don't have a fever. Would you like me to call Souta up here before I retire?"  
  
Kagome nodded. "Yes, I'd love to see Souta. Tell him to bring some games up here with him."  
  
"Of course, well good night Kagome," Naraku told her as he left her room to retrieve her little brother.  
  
Kagome stared out the window into the night sky. Hopefully it wasn't too late, she still had yet to set up her alarm clock. Souta could always cheer her up. Perhaps they could plot a way for him to return home and live with Sango's family. She hated to think he'd be stuck at a boarding school.  
  
She could feel a chill in the room and redirected her gaze to the foot of her bed. Her abusive guardian was there. His silver hair reflected the moonlight as he watched with soft golden eyes that seemed to harden the moment she stared back. "Haunting me some more? Are you some sort of poltergeist? Is that why you hurt me?"  
  
"I did not intend on harming you." Sesshoumaru replied in a bored tone. He turned to watch as the door to the bedroom opened and the little boy from the dinner table scampered in practically jumping onto the bed and hugging Kagome tight.  
  
She ignored Sesshoumaru, and that annoyed him slightly but he tried to ignore that sensation.  
  
"Kagome! Naraku told me you wanted to see me. It's so miserable down in my room. It's so lonely and I miss my friends and I don't want to go to that boarding school." Souta paused to take a breath, leaving Kagome time to respond.  
  
"Don't worry Souta. I think I'll talk to Sango's family and see if maybe they can help me convince Onigumo to let you go back to our old school. I don't understand why mother is going along with everything Onigumo says. It's like she's afraid to stand up to him." Kagome thought out loud as she looked over towards Sesshoumaru to see him sitting on her window seat, staring at the moon.  
  
"Maybe. But either way I'll have to leave you here with them! I don't want to leave you here with him and Naraku." Souta confided in her, his chocolate eyes serious and determined.  
  
Kagome ruffled his unruly hair. "Don't worry kid. I'll be fine. Naraku's harmless and I'll just avoid Onigumo."  
  
Sesshoumaru made a noise that sounded oddly similar to a laugh from his position across the room. Kagome glared after his still form. Without turning to look at her he replied, "It will be hard to avoid the Master of the house."  
  
His choice of words seemed to still her heart for a moment. 'The Master of this house?' she silently repeated to herself. She squeezed her eyes tight willing the thoughts that were willing to enter her mind to disappear. It was crazy for her to even entertain the idea that Naraku and his father were connected to that story he was telling her earlier about the previous inhabitants of this plantation.  
  
"Did I say something wrong?" Sesshoumaru demanded as he now stood beside Kagome on the side away from Souta.  
  
Souta yawned really wide and flashed Kagome an apologetic look. "Hey, Kagome, I'm really sorry, but I am too tired to play any games and just want to go to sleep. Is that okay? Do you need me to sleep up here with you in case you need anything?"  
  
Kagome reached over and hugged her little brother close, kissing his cheek before replying. "Thanks Souta, I don't need anything though. You go on to bed and I'll see you in the morning."  
  
Sesshoumaru watched the exchange silently as he stood still as a statue. After the door shut behind the little boy he moved to sit beside Kagome on the bed. She rolled her eyes. "You are the third male in a row that has sat on this bed. Is it really that inviting?"  
  
She didn't catch the spark of humor that flashed briefly through Sesshoumaru's eyes at her innocently stated remark that could easily be misconstrued. He focused upon her upper arms, seeing the damage he caused. He reached out to touch the marred flesh and was surprised when his fingers actually made contact.  
  
Kagome gasped at the feel of icy fingers brushing her skin. She looked down at Sesshoumaru's digits. "How is it that I can feel you?" She demanded, meeting his eyes to demand an answer.  
  
Sesshoumaru simply stared at his fingers wondering what the answer to that quandary was himself.  
  
"Well? Are you going to answer me or just sit there?" Kagome demanded ire evident in her tones at his rude behavior for disturbing her personal bubble.  
  
Sesshoumaru retracted his fingers away from her and instead entwined those phalanges together as he placed his hands idly in his lap. "I do not need to answer such questions miko."  
  
Kagome stared at him in complete confusion. How could he just sit there and be all abnormally calm and silent. Why couldn't he be haunting the hospital where is body was? "Why did you call me that? Do I look like some Japanese priestess to you?"  
  
Sesshoumaru was feeling really bothered. He didn't understand why he called her that either. He didn't have any answers to the questions she was asking and it was bothering him profoundly.  
  
"Are you just going to sit here all night then?" Kagome asked irritated. If only she could slap him or throw something at him. However, it would probably pass right through his body. He would probably slice her up again after her failed attempt too. For he didn't seem to have any problems becoming corporal enough to affront her person.  
  
"I have no where else to be at the moment," Sesshoumaru answered simply as he allowed his golden eyes to be sealed behind his eyelids. He felt guilt, confusion, anger towards this woman, but he also felt an odd sort of contentment and over protectiveness when in her presence. He was still upset about having harmed her earlier that evening.  
  
"I lost my diary in the move, I suppose your brick wall like personality could substitute to hear my thoughts, no?" Kagome asked, certain such a proposition would at least earn her a 'Hell no,' from the being sitting beside her.  
  
His silence remained. Frowning, Kagome decided to talk about her dreams. Maybe if she talked about her fantasy about the blue eyed man that haunted her dream he'd get disgusted and leave. Grinning at her own cunning Kagome gathered her thoughts to begin.  
  
"I've been having these dreams. I've had them for as long as I can remember." She watched him as she spoke, but he didn't make any sort of response to her words. Rolling her eyes at his stubbornness she continued. Maybe he would leave if she talked too much.  
  
"In these dreams, I'm with a young man. He's gorgeous. His ice blue eyes, long brown hair, and lean build are the sort of thing to drive any woman on edge." She noticed with some satisfaction that he was now watching her intently.  
  
"What is his name?" Sesshoumaru asked, the possibility of the man who threatened him in the void being her dream man causing curiosity to stir within him.  
  
Kagome raised a finger to her pursed lips as she thought hard about the question. "I have no idea. But he calls me his love, so I know that we must be close. In the dreams, I've noticed that I wear Victorian type clothes that were popular in America after the revolution."  
  
"Dreams of a past life perhaps?" Sesshoumaru suggested, his interest peeked. That would explain the blue eyed man's hostility if he was her lover in the past.  
  
Kagome laughed softly at the idea. "Oh no, I think its just my wild imagination. I don't believe in that stuff."  
  
Sesshoumaru merely stared at her, masking his disbelief behind well, a blank mask. If she didn't believe in that sort of stuff then what the hell was coursing through her mind to explain him?  
  
"What do you consider this arrangement then?" Sesshoumaru demanded gesturing to himself.  
  
"I think I'm going crazy. It's only natural after I've just experienced such a traumatic event." Kagome answered easily as she pulled her covers down and slipped inside them, turning her back to Sesshoumaru.  
  
"How can you deny me? I am real enough. I have harmed you and I am talking to you." Sesshoumaru argued. This girl was truly dense.  
  
Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. No one else can see or hear you. And the scratch marks, well I don't know. That's why I thought maybe you were a ghost haunting me."  
  
"But if you believe in ghosts why wouldn't you believe in past lives?" Sesshoumaru asked, finding himself leaning over her form as she continued to ignore the proximity of his body to hers. Well, his sort of body, to hers that is.  
  
He was surprised when she turned on her back intending to face the ceiling but instead met his face that was leering down over her. He moved back to place some more distance between them.  
  
"I don't have all the answers Sesshoumaru. You tell me why you called me miko earlier and I'll try and figure out all the mysteries in my life. But to be honest, I'm of that mindset that if you ignore something it will go away." Kagome answered turning her front towards Sesshoumaru and closing her eyes. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to sleep now."  
  
Sesshoumaru watched her, a twitch wanting to form in his eye when he saw her just fall asleep as if there wasn't some unexplained phenomenon sitting right beside her on her bed. Was she really so stubborn as to ignore him and her dreams for that matter? As he looked down at her he realized that she would be that stubborn.  
  
Sesshoumaru could feel the mattress under him. He still didn't understand why it was that sometimes he could feel things around her and other times he couldn't. Perhaps it had to do with whether or not she was ignoring him. When she talked to him or recognized his presence he could feel a tingling sensation. When she ignored him or tried to that's when his fingers simply slipped through things.  
  
Lying beside the one he had been charged to watch over he felt exhausted. He had felt incredibly drained ever since harming her. It was as if he had harmed himself in doing so. He allowed his eyelids to hide his golden irises once more. He felt himself relax and knew that dreams would soon flood his mind's eye instead of the intolerable misty void.  
  
Before he lost all conscious thought the last riddle to plague his mind was why did he call her miko?  
  
_Sesshoumaru looked down at his dream self and noted his clothing. He was wearing a long white silk outfit, shirt and pants of some Oriental style, a pair of black boots covered his feet, and large fur pelt was wrapped over his right shoulder.  
  
He happened to look down at his arms and hands and noticed purple stripes marred the perfection of his alabaster skin, but instead of taking away from the flawless nature it added a more exotic feel. His fingernails looked more akin to claws, he ran his fingers through his long hair and was relieved to find that at least that remained the silver he was familiar with, only the strands were much longer than what he was accustomed to.  
_  
_Not far from him, sitting against a tree at the edge of the forest he was walking through did he spot a woman. She was familiar and he knew her well. He was only slightly surprised when she locked her sapphire orbs with his eyes. A part of him knew that it would be the same woman whose existence had altered his normal life.  
  
She looked older here in his dream world. Her raven colored hair fell longer and pooled at her feet that were tucked under her in her sitting position. She wore the clothes of a miko, a priestess of ancient Japan. She smiled at him and he felt his heart skip a beat as he took a seat beside her.  
  
She scooted next to him and he wrapped his arms around her frame, placing her head under his chin before she spoke. "I knew you would come."  
  
"I would never disappoint you my precious miko," Sesshoumaru's dream self replied as he nuzzled against her neck before resting his chin back upon the crown of her raven head.  
  
"Please tell me you have changed your mind my demon lord," The miko whispered as she pulled away slightly so that her sapphire eyes could gaze into his golden ones to find the answers she sought.  
  
"I have no reason to change my mind. This is the only way." He answered resolutely, a painful stab in his gut at the way her face fell at his answer moments before she covered her face from his view by burying it within the white silk of his front shirt.  
  
"But, I can not have you deny what you are. I love you, I could never ask you to change who you are just for me," her muffled voice rose to his sensitive ears.  
  
Soothingly he ran his clawed fingers up and down her spine, trying to ease her pain. "I would do anything for you my precious miko. I would become human so that you and I could be together."  
  
She pulled away again, reaching up both hands to cup his cheeks. She sat straighter so that the two were nose-to-nose. "But I don't want you to become human. You are a great demon lord. You would hate life as a human. It is beneath you."  
  
He smirked at her as he pushed her to the ground and planted his hands on either side of her face. His arms supported him inches away from her body. "If my reward is to have you beneath me than that is enough," he answered before closing the distance and claiming her lips with his own. This is all he ever really wanted. He would give up his immortality just to spend a mortal life with this one. For he wouldn't be able to find the strength to live without her in his life now that it revolved around her.  
  
He pulled back, allowing her to gasp for air. His demon lungs could continue the onslaught but he needed to be careful with her fragility. Once he became human, he would understand her limits and he wouldn't have to worry about hurting her.  
  
Her sapphire orbs stared up at him with a conflict of emotions. "I love you as you are. I will not be the cause of your misery when all you do is bring me joy. It would be unfair."  
  
"Kagome, your vow of guarding that damned sacred jewel until it can be destroyed is the only thing that prevents me from taking you right now and making you my mate. But even if that accursed jewel didn't exist, I couldn't stand to live without you. A brief mortal life with you where our souls could meet again is what I want. I deny my right by birth for near immortality. For when my life did expire, there would be no chance for our souls to reunite." He told her, his golden eyes pleading for her to understand.  
  
Her hands remained cupping either side of his face as she leaned up to kiss him softly on the forehead, on the crescent moon that marked his heritage. "Sesshoumaru, you don't know that. What if we do meet again? You can live your life as you were born to. You are a great leader and without you innocents will suffer. I can not have you abandon your duties just as I can not abandon my own. I am the miko who is to guard the sacred jewel. You are the lord of the Western Lands. Find your demoness and sire your heirs so that the West may be protected forever. You will forget about me, I am nothing." She whispered looking away from him.  
  
Sesshoumaru growled at her attitude and forced her to look at him. "Damn it Kagome! Do you not understand? Before you I had no heart! You are my heart! Without you I am but a shell, an empty vessel. I will wish to be human because I do not want to chance that our souls will never be reunited." Tears began to form in his golden eyes mirroring the tears swimming in the sapphire eyes that had him captivated.  
  
Kagome wrapped her arms around her beloved's neck. She kissed him chastely on the lips before resting her chin on his shoulder, inhaling his aroma as her breath tickled the sensitive skin of his throat. "I love you more than life itself Sesshoumaru. If this is what you truly wish to do, I would be so happy."  
  
Sesshoumaru smiled one of his rare smiles as his arms moved to snake around her and draw her even closer to him as he sat up. "Yes, my precious miko, for you my desire is to become human so that we can grow old together and have the opportunity for our souls to reunite again and again so that we can experience life together until the end of time. This is what I want. May the Western lands and the Shikon no Tama be damned."  
  
_Sessoumaru awoke, the images from that dream burning in his retina as he looked down at the woman beside him. He had never experienced such a dream before and frankly he didn't want to revisit that experience. He had a feeling of compassion and tenderness that he didn't realize he possessed nagging at his very spirit.  
  
Observing that Kagome, the one he had dubbed miko earlier, fit with the image of the miko by the same name in his dream to a tee, only a younger version. His dream self in the visage of a demon lord held too many characteristics similar to his own to be ignored.  
  
He would seek that Rin creature and demand some answers. Hell, even that blue eyed, over possessive man from earlier might be good. One thing was certain though, he would avoid dreaming while he was in this state of existence. He did not like the possible meanings that now seemed to haunt him. As if his life wasn't complicated enough right now it had to go and get more mysterious.  
  
**TBC**

_A/N: Thanks for your reviews, they are quite encouraging. Be sure to drop a line about what you think about this chapter. Belle_


	6. CGVI

**CG: VI  
**  
Sesshoumaru had willed himself to return to the misty void after his disturbing dream. He wanted some answers and he wanted them now. "RIN!" He called out for the umpteenth time. Where was that little brat?  
  
"RIN!" He shouted, his voice was growing dangerously aggravated.  
  
"RIN!"  
  
"Calm down, she's obviously not here," An arrogant, masculine voice answered.  
  
Sesshoumaru faced the origins of the voice, not surprised to find the blue eyed, dark haired man. Currently, he was examining his fingernails, an expression of absolutely boredom donning his features. "You!" Sesshoumaru accused pointing his finger towards the man.  
  
Blue eyes looked up for a moment before shifting back to his fingernails. "Yes, I'm me. What did you want?"  
  
"I want some answers." Sesshoumaru replied, standing right before the man. Normally he would tower over people, but this man was nearly his height, perhaps an inch or two shorter than him.  
  
"I suppose you want them from Rin?" The man asked with a grin, a fanged tooth peeked over his lip.  
  
"I don't care who I get them from, but I want them now." Sesshoumaru snarled, frustration causing his voice to take on a deadly edge.  
  
"That's too bad. If you wanted them from me specifically I could have helped you, but since any ol' chap will do I suppose you should look around for someone who cares." The man turned in a complete circle and shrugged before walking towards a tree that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.  
  
He hopped into the lowest branch and relaxed against the trunk, closing his eyes lazily. "It's really too bad that I'm the only one here."  
  
Sesshoumaru made his way towards the tree and punched the trunk with all his might, hoping to take out some of his anger. He didn't expect for the tree to split in two, depositing his only companion onto the ground.  
  
The man who fell off the branch in a less than dignified manner, casually stood and dusted himself off. He observed the damaged tree before shaking his head and snapping his fingers. The tree uprighted itself and heeled it's damage. "Do not make it your new habit to destroy my trees. It really is quite annoying to have it fix itself."  
  
Sesshoumaru was too busy staring at his fist to acknowledge what the man said. "How did I do that?"  
  
"It's not like this is reality as you know it. You should be able to be as strong as you'd like here." The man replied easily. "Damn, I wasn't going to tell you anything. Oh well."  
  
"Who are you?" Sesshoumaru demanded, annoyed with these games.  
  
"I think you know who I am." The man replied.  
  
"Give me a name."  
  
"Didn't your parents already name you Sesshoumaru?" The difficult man rejoined. A fist wrapped itself around his white throat, squeezing off the air supply. The man sputtered surprised for a bit before relaxing and moving through the hand as if it wasn't anything more than a phantom. "I suppose you'd like to know my name."  
  
Sesshoumaru let his empty fist fall to his side before answering. "That would be ideal."  
  
The blue eyed man held his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose that would be ideal. I'd rather give you another name though. A name of someone else that is a bit more pertinent to your situation. I'll leave you with the name Kagewaki."  
  
"Fine, why is Kagewaki important to my situation?" Sesshoumaru asked, growing exasperated and flopping down to the ground and sitting Indian style.  
  
The blue eyed man smiled at him again and cast him a confused look. "Which situation of yours are you addressing?"  
  
Cold, golden eyes were the response. Sesshoumaru had decided to no longer participate in these riddles. He was just going to sit there until the man spoke or until he left the misty void.  
  
The blue eyed man moved to sit across from him on the ground. "Would you like to discuss the dream?" He asked, his voice no longer playful. Sesshoumaru nodded mutely. "Very well, you were dreaming about the demon lord Sesshoumaru and the miko he loved, Kagome."  
  
"That much I already knew." Sesshoumaru butt in annoyed with the lack of progress he was getting from this meeting.  
  
"Of course you do! I'll just be going then, nice talking." The blue eyed man began to rise, but was stopped as Sesshoumaru roughly yanked his long high ponytail. The man looked down at him, a grimace on his face as he rubbed his abused scalp when Sesshoumaru released his hair. "Fine, he wanted to become human for her so that they could be together. This I'm sure you already know as well."  
  
Sesshoumaru nodded, encouraging him to continue.  
  
The blue eyed man looked at him sadly for a moment before laying a hand upon Sesshoumaru's shoulder for a moment, regret evident in his eyes. "Sometimes fate is not kind and things do not work out as they should. You and I have both suffered from that inequality I'm afraid." He turned to leave then.  
  
"Wait, you didn't tell me anything of use you worthless human!" Sesshoumaru roared.  
  
The man turned back towards him, an amused half-smile present. "It's funny how such sayings come back to us so easily isn't it? I'm sorry Sesshoumaru, I really can't tell you anything right now. You'll have to discover it on your own." Then the blue eyed man disappeared leaving Sesshoumaru alone in his confusion once again.  
  
####################  
  
Kagome groaned as she took another step following Souta into the woods behind the plantation. He had begged and pleaded that she go out walking with him. Now that she had crutches she thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to get out of the house.  
  
However, now underneath her arms where the top of the crutches rested she could feel her skin rubbed raw. Her hands were sore as well from gripping the hand bars so tightly on the crutches.  
  
"Hurry up Kagome!" Souta called from about twenty feet in front of her.  
  
"I'm trying, have pity on the cripple okay. This is harder than it looks," she informed him as she made her steady way towards him. She wouldn't have minded having Naraku carry her around right about now.  
  
Souta came running back and stood beside her, walking slowly along with her. "I'm sorry, I forgot you couldn't go very fast."  
  
A few feet later and Kagome felt her heart leapt out of her chest. Souta looked back at her concerned but she assured him that she was all right. Under her very nose was the creek from her dream. She could picture herself and the mysterious young man swimming in those crystal clear waters.  
  
"Isn't it beautiful Kagome?" Souta asked in awe. "This is what I wanted to show you. I saw it on Friday when I was stuck here all day with Naraku."  
  
"It is," Kagome agreed. Her eyes drifted towards a large tree with branches that hung over the stream. "Maybe we should put a rope on that branch. It looks perfect to swing from don't you think?"  
  
Souta whole-heartedly agreed. The idea of a rope swing brought a strange sense of nostalgia washing over Kagome. It was as if there once was a rope there and that she had spent great amounts of time playing with it. And the stream was identical to the one from her dream.  
  
"I'm going swimming do you want to come?" Souta asked hopefully.  
  
Kagome frowned and pointed out her cast. "I can't get it wet dear."  
  
His face fell at the revelation. "I forgot," he replied as he stripped down to his bathing suit trunks and dived right into the stream.  
  
When he broke the surface he had a glowering sister standing over him. "Don't ever do something so foolish! You had no idea how deep that water was! You could have broken your neck and drowned!"  
  
"I'll be more careful, chill out." Souta replied as he skillfully swam backwards, arm over arm parting the water easily.  
  
Kagome shook her head at his irresponsibility. His answer too many times was 'I forgot.' She found a comfortable place to rest against that large tree she spotted earlier that would be prime rope swing material.  
  
She allowed her head to rest against it and allowed her weary sapphire orbs to close. She could already feel the density of a dream forming in her mind as she fell into unconsciousness.  
  
_He smiled at her again from his perch in their tree. He had a long twine rope in his hand. He had been working on weaving it for the past week. "What do you think Kagome? Isn't this the perfect place for a swing?"  
  
She frowned up at him. "But Kouga, this isn't our property. If that plantation owner finds out he'll probably have us lynched with this same rope."  
_  
_"Where's your sense of adventure? That's not going to happen so long as I'm around." He smiled at her reassuringly as he started to walk along the branch with perfect balance. He leaned down and began to tie the rope tight with a series of knots that would make a sailor proud. Probably because he had been learning how to tie thanks to a few sailors.  
  
"Say Kouga, you haven't been to the city lately have you?" Kagome inquired, worrying on her bottom lip a bit.  
  
Kouga finished pulling the rope taunt as he then jumped with the rope in his hand. He hung like a monkey suspended in air before looking back at her. "Why do you ask?"  
_  
_"I just don't think it's a good idea for you to hang out with those people." Kagome answered as she started to climb their tree. Kouga began climbing back up the rope to pull himself back onto the great branch.  
  
Kagome sat with her back against the trunk and Kouga sat in front of her. Both had their legs dangling over each side as they faced one another. "Don't worry Kagome, you know I wouldn't hang out with trouble."  
  
"How can you be so sure? You're too trusting. Some pirate is going to take advantage of your skills, strength, and innocence. You're going to be abused somehow." Kagome told him as her hands clenched in fists at her sides. She looked to the West, the setting sun always somehow calmed her in moments of stress.  
  
There was just something about the West that soothed her soul. Perhaps that was why when her father had been offered the position of governor over this parish she had begged that he accept. They had been living on the East coast and the idea of moving West thrilled her beyond belief.  
  
"I don't like the way you worded that. But, I'm smarter than I look," Kouga winked at her as he took her hands within his, gaining her attention. It always bothered him for some unknown reason that she was so fascinated with anything that had to deal with that cardinal direction.  
  
"You just can't trust pirates, Kouga. I want you to remember that." Kagome told him seriously, squeezing his hands before removing hers from within his.  
  
Kouga ran his unoccupied hands through his long dark hair. In the shadows it appeared dark as obsidian, when the sun shined on it, it was a sun kissed brown shade. "Look, the only pirate I trust is Lafitte and that's only because he's above lying. So don't worry about it. Besides I'm not getting into anything illegal. I just am curious is all."  
  
Kagome leaned across the branch and cupped either side of his face, touching foreheads with his. "I know Kouga, you would never do anything like that. I trust you."  
  
That confident, fanged grin reappeared in full force. "That's right, because I'm the trustworthy, upright guy that's going to be the center of your universe. As soon as we get married I'll know enough about ships so that we can go sailing across the world." He locked eyes with hers. "We'll sail West until we reach the setting sun itself."  
  
Kagome laughed gaily at his words. He was so full of adventure, just like she was. They were both however confined to the boring lives that came with the politics of her father. She was eternally grateful to her mother for convincing both their fathers to allow them to become engaged.  
  
Kouga laughed along with her as he stood up on the branch, arms spread out wide to center his balance. He extended a hand down to help her rise. "Will you grant me the pleasure of this dance?"  
  
"On this branch?" Kagome asked in disbelief as she glanced on either side of the branch to see nothing but crystal clear water, several feet deep no doubt.  
  
"Of course!"  
  
"But we could fall!" Kagome argued as she found herself in Kouga's arms as he began to walk them smoothly up and down the branch.  
  
"Exactly!" He agreed as he purposely lost his balance taking Kagome with him to land with a splash into the deep stream. He continued to hold her tight as he treaded water for the both of them. He kissed her cheek as he moved his lips towards her ear. "Life is so much better when you're willing to take risks."  
_  
"Kagome! Kagome! Wake up!" Souta cried, roughly shaking his sister. Sapphire eyes popped open in a flash and searched for the danger that was surely in the area. Seeing only her little brother Kagome yawned wide.  
  
"What is it?" She asked, the images of her dream man fading from her fuzzy mind. At least he had a name now though.  
  
"It's getting late, the sun is already setting. We better get back to the house. Besides I'm really cold now." Souta replied shivering as goosebumps rose all along his bare flesh.  
  
Kagome laughed at the boy. "Silly, didn't you bring a towel?"  
  
He shook his head and helped Kagome to her feet, handing her the crutches. "Let's hurry back, okay?"  
  
The snapping of twigs drew their attention towards the direction of the house. Naraku stood just within the corpse of trees watching the two curiously. "What were you guys doing back here? I've been looking for you all day." He told them quietly, his eyes flickering between Kagome and the tree she was laying against earlier.  
  
"I found this cool stream and wanted to go swimming. I knew you would say it was pointless and would probably not let me, so I just brought Kagome," Souta answered.  
  
Naraku looked down at his hands for a moment in introspection. "I'm sorry you felt that way Souta. I would have loved to accompany you two out here. I rather enjoy swimming myself." Naraku answered.  
  
"I'm sorry! I didn't know!" Souta cried out clearly upset and feeling guilty.  
  
Naraku looked up and gave him a small smile as the two reached where he was standing. He placed his hand behind Souta's neck and gave it a brief squeeze of comfort. "No hard feelings. But no one likes to be left out."  
  
"We'll remember that next time," Kagome assured him.  
  
Naraku looked at her for a moment in silence. Then at Souta whose teeth were chattering loudly. Wordlessly he pulled off his shirt and handed it to the young boy, who gratefully accepted it.  
  
Now Naraku's attention became focused on Kagome's blistered hands. He shook his head at her before walking behind her and lifting her in his arms without any notice. "Souta will you get her crutches? No need for her to tear her body up more than necessary."  
  
"Sure!" Souta agreed, as he took the crutches that had fallen to the ground when Naraku picked up Kagome.  
  
"Why don't you run on ahead, we'll be there shortly," Naraku told him. He watched with amusement as the boy took off, Naraku's shirt was billowing out from him like a parachute. "You think he'll grow into it eventually?" Naraku asked Kagome.  
  
"Hm, probably. Aren't you cold?" She asked, she could see the goosebumps starting to form on his flesh. Naraku smiled at her faintly before pulling her closer to his chest.  
  
"Why do you think I had volunteered to carry you?" He teased as he started walking back towards the mansion. Kagome didn't say anything and Naraku seemed unwilling to make small talk so she amused herself by braiding strands of this thick, silky hair.  
  
By the time they reached her third floor bed room he had at least twenty long, thin braids mixed in with his beautiful hair. Naraku kicked open her door and walked her to the bed and deposited her there before sitting beside her and looking at her expectantly.  
  
Kagome suddenly felt nervous. Why was he looking at her that way? He wasn't going to try anything was he? "What?"  
  
"I'd like you to take out all those ridiculous braids. I'd rather not deal with them when I take my shower tonight," Naraku answered simply, finding amusement in her obvious discomfort. Her eyes kept falling upon his chest and abdomen. Silently he prided himself on his body, but to see someone else of such beauty appreciate it made all the hours he spent in the gym worth it.  
  
She was lucky that his father had taken her mother out for the day or else her and Souta's little adventure would have had a much more unpleasant ending.  
  
"Sorry," Kagome muttered as she began to unbraid the mess she made of his hair. The creased hair that she unbound only added to the natural glory of his dark locks. She was so caught up in admiring the dark tresses that she didn't realize that her hand had frozen in mid-air, one of the braids wrapped around her finger.  
  
Naraku's hand circling her wrist drew her out of her daze. "Kagome? Are you finished?"  
  
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Kagome frowned. "Almost, just a few more to go."  
  
Naraku sat patiently as she finished freeing the strands of his hair and tugged at his scalp in a softly teasing manner that relaxed him to the core. When she was done he turned to face her. He hooked his index finger around her chin and bent down to kiss her forehead. "Good night, I'll see you in the morning. Call if you need anything." Then he was gone. He was like a breeze, blowing in and out of her life at ease.  
  
Kagome collapsed against her bed. It had been a long day. She was glad that she had allowed Souta to drag her outside. She felt as if she'd been trapped inside for weeks, even though it had only been a few days.  
  
Naraku was a mystery. He was acting so sincere. It was nothing like how he acted when they had first met. All those months ago all she could picture were his eyes watching her with nothing short of lust in them. Now, he seemed so gentle and caring. She sorely misjudged the guy.  
  
She was starting to refer to him as a friend now, one whom she cared about. She really needed to see her old friends. She needed to be reassured that she wasn't going crazy. As thoughts of her losing her mind ran through her head she noticed her guardian had crashed her solitude.  
  
"You must be bored," Kagome greeted the silent being. She wondered how long he had been standing there. There was no telling really; he could be so quiet when he wanted to be.  
  
"On the contrary, I am recovering from a most trying day." Sesshoumaru replied as he drifted to sit on her window seat again. The moon would rise sometime in the next hour, the sun wasn't even set yet.  
  
"Do you enjoy watching sunsets as well?" Kagome inquired, noticing his gaze was transfixed to the West. Memories of her vision that afternoon came flooding back to her. Was there a connection? Doubtful, it was just a coincidence. Everyone liked to watch the sunset.  
  
"I have yet to meet one who does not enjoy watching the sunset." Sesshoumaru answered. He heard her sigh of defeat and rolled his eyes before turning towards her. "It is meeting those that make the time to enjoy watching it that are the true rarity."  
  
"Good point." Kagome conceded. She brought her eyes back to focus on the ceiling.  
  
She heard the rustling of fabric and was faintly surprised to see Sesshoumaru sitting beside her on the bed. She thought he couldn't stand being near her after his attitude the night before.  
  
"Tell me what troubles you," Sesshoumaru told her softly. He had to start somewhere. Maybe if she unloaded all her girly problems on him then she would smile and he would finally wake up. Since he wasn't getting any other suggestions he'd have to try all routes at his disposal.  
  
Kagome looked at him skeptically from her peripheral vision. "You actually want to listen to what I have to say?"  
  
Sesshoumaru leaned back and crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared straight ahead. "I seem to have all the time in the world."  
  
"Things are just weird okay. For one thing, I think I'm actually starting to like Naraku. He's not a bad guy or anything which totally goes against my first couple of impressions of him." Kagome began.  
  
Sesshoumaru was listening to her and trying to match what she said to what he had learned from the blue eyed enigma, which was hardly anything of salvageable value. He interrupted. "Do you know anyone by the name of Kagewaki?"  
  
Kagome frowned at the name. "It sounds familiar, but I can't place it. Why?"  
  
"It's nothing. Do proceed." Sesshoumaru stored the name away for later contemplation.  
  
"I know the name of my mystery man." Kagome told him, closing her eyes and picturing the object of her fantasies.  
  
Sesshoumaru felt an eye twitch at the comment. "What mystery man might this be?"  
  
"You know, the one I told you about last night? The one with the long dark hair and icy blue eyes?" Kagome elaborated.  
  
Sesshoumaru turned to face her fully. "I'm listening, what's his name?" He asked, trying to keep the eagerness out of his voice. It had to be the same son-of-a-bitch he'd been dealing with in that void.  
  
He tried to ignore the dreamy expression on her face. The name was the important thing. "His name is Kouga."  
  
**TBC**


	7. CG VII

_A/N: Special thanks to Amyfushigiyugi for her help in adding flare to the N/K scene. Enjoy!  
_  
**CG: VII**  
  
Sesshoumaru remained silent as he mulled over the information his charge had dispatched. This 'Kouga' must have been the same nuisance that he had met. When he returned to that God forsaken void he would confront him with his own name.  
  
Sesshoumaru looked back down at the woman beside him, a question waiting to roll off his tongue. He nearly growled in annoyance when he saw her eyes were closed and her chest rose up and down steadily. "Woman," Sesshoumaru's icy tones demanded she awaken.  
  
Kagome cracked a single blue-grey orb to acknowledge him.  
  
"This Sesshoumaru does not appreciate your lack of respect."  
  
"Forgive this lowly one oh high and mighty king," Kagome replied sarcastically as she flipped over onto her side, hoping he'd go away. She didn't care much for his attitude. She was still grieving and here he was throwing a tantrum because he didn't have her undivided attention.  
  
Sesshoumaru made an attempt to wake her up by forcefully shaking her, but much to his displeasure his hands passed through her like a phantom.  
  
At least the prospect of returning to the void and getting answers seemed appeasing to him. However, as he tried to will himself to the void he found that he was incapable of doing so. He then tried to return to his body at the hospital, just get away from the insufferable girl he was stuck watching over!  
  
Some powerful entity was forcing him to stay by this slip of a girl. He glared down at her unconscious form, hoping she had nightmares as some compensation for his inconvenience. As if answering his unspoken request whispered words escaped her lips.  
  
He leaned down close to her mouth to hear better, annoyed for some reason that his hearing wasn't more sensitive.  
  
"Kagewaki, no, I don't understand how this could have happened. Kouga? What happened to him? Tell me! Kagewaki!" She screamed as she bolted up in her bed, panting. She was looking right through Sesshoumaru as if she couldn't see him.  
  
The door that connected her and Naraku's rooms flew open. Naraku rushed to her side, clad in nothing but pair of simple black boxers. His chest was glistening in sweat as if he too had just awakened from a night terror. He was kneeling beside Kagome on her bed in a flash.  
  
He took one look at her terrified face, which was completely flushed of color, and pulled her against him. His fingers ran through her hair soothingly. "It's alright baby doll. I'm here now. I won't let anything happen to you." Naraku reassured the girl softly as she buried her face against his neck, fingers curled in his own dark locks that fell carelessly over his shoulder.  
  
Sesshoumaru could feel himself growling unnaturally at the man. He tried in vain to throw him off of his charge. He was not to touch her in such an affectionate manner. He cursed when he felt the tell-tell pull of the astral plane.  
  
"Damn it! Not now! Why can't I do anything?" He yelled in rage before finding himself standing before the pesky child. "You!" He sneered, voice laced with a venom he had never possessed before.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama! You wanted to see me?" Rin asked innocently, ignoring the barbs in his tone.  
  
"Not now damn it! I need to stop that bastard from touching what's mine!" Sesshoumaru explained as he concentrated on returning to Kagome's side to no avail.  
  
Rin cocked her head to the side cutely. "What is yours?"  
  
"The girl! That woman! Kagome!" Sesshoumaru ground out annoyed. "And who the hell is Kagewaki?"  
  
"I don't understand," Rin protested with a bright, snaggle-toothed smile.  
  
Sesshoumaru took a calming breath and allowed his calculating nature to reign dominant and mask his mounting anger before speaking. "I'm supposed to protect her so I can wake up. I just watched that man seducing her and I couldn't do a thing!" He threw his hands into the air exasperated when the child merely stared at him blankly.  
  
"Seducing her? Maybe he actually cares about her. That's more than you can say." Rin pointed out.  
  
Sesshoumaru crossed his arms in a fashion that reminded him of his younger brother. He remained silent.  
  
Rin observed him and was fully aware of his stubbornness. She prodded him, "You wished to know about your dream?"  
  
Golden eyes riveted towards her. "And what happened to the demon and miko." Sesshoumaru clarified.  
  
Rin smiled showing her gapped teeth. "You want to know what happened to you and Kagome?" She elaborated. Sesshoumaru merely stared at her impassively. Rin giggled at him, causing his brows to furrow in confusion for a brief moment. "It's a good thing I know you too well for your scare tactics to work." Rin informed him before answering his question.  
  
"Hundreds of years ago, you wished to become human and you two were married. You had a son and daughter and were very happy." Her brown eyes gazed past him to visualize something he couldn't see.  
  
"Something bad happened," Sesshoumaru concluded at her continued silence.  
  
Rin shrugged, "They were very happy together. I don't believe it is up to me to reveal everything to you."  
  
Sesshoumaru took a few menacing steps towards her until he was standing right in front of her. "I deserve to know what happened to them."  
  
Rin's eyes flickered up to meet his. "Of course you do. Eventually you'll remember on your own." She then waved a farewell salute and then vanished, leaving Sesshoumaru alone, again, in the void.  
  
He allowed himself to fall heavily on the ground below him. Never had he felt more forlorn than at this exact moment.  
  
###################  
  
Naraku tried to sooth the girl in his arms. He was afraid she'd have a reaction similar to this when she started to remember. That's why he didn't want to tell her much about that accursed story. He carried her into his own room when he couldn't get her to speak. He settled on his bed with the young woman on his lap.  
  
The change of environment seemed to snap her out of the daze somewhat and her fingers uncurled and released his hair as they slid out of his midnight colored locks. Her soulful eyes searched his dark ones imploringly. "Forgive me," she apologized as she tried to extract herself form his vise- like embrace.  
  
"No need, I'm always here for you when you need me." Naraku assured her as he released one of his hands from her waist to brush aside the bangs that fell sweat soaked into her eyes.  
  
Kagome just stared back at the man. There was something about him nagging at the back of her memory. It was something of importance, she was certain. "Why are you doing this?" Kagome asked.  
  
Naraku moved his hand to slide over her bangs around to cradle the back of her skull. He bent over her frame to whisper in a breathy voice in her ear. "Because, because I care about you and," he leaned back to look her directly in the eye, "and because I promise I'll take care of you."  
  
Then he closed the distance and muffled any words that might have sprung forth from her lips with his mouth over hers. He felt her stiffen in his arms but he did not let her go. He needed this one kiss the same as he needed air to breath. He silently pleaded to the heavens or who ever would listen for her to return the kiss as he tried to deepen it.  
  
Kagome wasn't sure she was even awake and with that thought finally relaxed a little as his tongue slid across her lips. The jolt of heat it sent through her made her gasp against him and when she did she felt his tongue slide across hers seductively. 'A dream kiss' Kagome mused keeping her eyes closed. It seemed so familiar though she knew she had never kissed him before. She could feel his warm hands caressing her, lulling her deeper into the dream.  
  
Naraku softened the kiss realizing Kagome was no longer responding. His breathing was slightly ragged as his breath puffed across her face.  
  
Kagome had fallen back asleep with Naraku holding her close to his heart. He shook his head at her. He had waited nearly two centuries to hold her again and she didn't have the decency to be awake?  
  
He sighed to himself as he gently lifted her from his bed to deposit her back into her own room. She didn't need to find herself in his bed in the morning, despite the fact that he desired to keep her warm and safe through out the hours of the night. He longed to hold her in such a fashion, but didn't want to scare her off. She wouldn't even remember this night; her mind was so scrambled from her nightmare. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.  
  
As he pulled her covers up to her chin he looked upon her sadly before retreating back to his room. She was all he ever wanted and he wasn't about to risk losing her again to that damned curse. He would find a way to beat it before he allowed anything to develop in their relationship.  
  
##############  
  
Sesshoumaru was staring into nothing in the void, mostly because there was nothing else to stare at. He hated this more than anything else about his state of existence. Never was he one to be idle or waste time and yet when in this situation, he could do nothing but one of those options.  
  
He was surprised when he noticed colors entering the darkness. He assumed he would have returned to the hospital but that appeared to not be the case. The area actually started to become beautiful and serene. The smell of a fresh spring and cedar accompanied the changing landscape.  
  
Sesshoumaru rose to his feet to investigate the area he now found himself at. He was in a forest near a small creek. There was a huge tree on the banks that had massive branches that extended over the water, shading it and helping to keep it hidden.  
  
He heard what sounded like limbs swaying and creaking under a heavy weight. His attention was drawn in the direction and that's where he spotted one of the many thorns in his side wearing an old fashioned pair of overalls with his long dark hair in a high pony tail. Whose icy orbs were observing him closely.  
  
"So, looks like you know my name now," Kouga commented dryly as he moved out from the far reaches of the branch towards the trunk of the great tree. He then jumped lightly onto the grass beside Sesshoumaru and grabbed his elbow to lead him to the bank of the creek. "You and I should talk."  
  
"Yes, I want to know what is going on. And who is Kagewaki? Kagome called his name out in her sleep." Sesshoumaru informed him as he allowed himself to be led to the bank. He and Kouga sat side by side, Kouga's gaze drawn to the running water while Sesshoumaru merely stared at him impassively.  
  
"You see this area?" Kouga gestured to their current environment, a look of longing clearly upon his handsome face. "This was my favorite place in life. If I had but one wish, it would be to return to that time and not allow myself to be manipulated. My blind trust in others is what caused my death. The only one I should have placed such faith in was her."  
  
"Touching, what does this have to do with Kagewaki? I already understand that you and Kagome were lovers in a past life. I need information pertinent to the situation at hand," Sesshoumaru interrupted.  
  
Kouga leaned back with his arms locked behind his head to stare at the sky above. The clouds were forming intricate designs and he would rather relax and enjoy this memory that he was sharing rather than answer to a former demon lord on a power kick.  
  
Laughter filled their ears and Kouga sat up, a huge smile stretched across his face as he took off at a run, leaving Sesshoumaru to watch in confusion as he was abandoned. His questions about who could have caused the other man to be bursting with excitement were soon answered when he noticed Kagome, but not his Kagome, running into the woods wearing clothing from eras long ago.  
  
"Kouga!" Kagome exclaimed as she ran into his open arms. The two passionately kissed before he swung her in the air and tossed her high, only to catch her in his arms and cradle her to his chest.  
  
"Kagome, love, the wait has been unbearable without you at my side." Kouga declared as he walked past Sesshoumaru and settled on the forest floor at the base of the great tree.  
  
Kagome swatted at his chest. "Do not tease; I had an awful time trying to get here this afternoon. Kagewaki spotted me at the edge of the tree line and inquired about my destination. He wanted to come as well but I got him to agree to wait a few minutes so that I could greet you in private."  
  
Kouga leaned his face towards her neck and lightly kissed it before replying. "It's not that I don't like Kagewaki but there is something about him that I simply can not trust. The way he looks at you sometimes clearly shows that he wants you and he can not have my woman." Kouga answered the last part gravely.  
  
Kagome pulled herself out of his arms and turned to face him. She placed a quick kiss upon the lips she loved so much before pulling back and rising to her feet. From her new height advantage she looked down at her beloved. "You overreact. He is a friend to both of us and knows quite clearly where my heart lies." She turned towards the edge of the woods where a twig snapped.  
  
Kouga followed her gaze and sighed as he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flat against his chest. "I know he is aware of where your heart lies. That is what worries me. Not what he will do, but what the master of the plantation will do when he discovers his son is in love with you and your love belongs to a commoner."  
  
Kagome turned to look at Kouga over her shoulder. Her hand reached up to caress his cheek in adoration. "Don't be silly love. Things like that don't happen."  
  
A throat cleared, revealing another young man. A young man that Sesshoumaru recognized all too clearly. "Naraku," he addressed the new arrival, but like the other two occupants at the creek he too paid him no heed.  
  
"Hello Kagewaki," Kouga greeted as he allowed Kagome to pull out of his arms. He began to climb up his tree to balance across the limb that he cherished.  
  
"Kouga," Kagewaki answered. His eyes lit up with happiness when they fell upon Kagome. "Kagome, I was starting to miss you."  
  
Kagome laughed easily at the plantation master's son. "Don't be a simpleton my friend. I told you I was only going to greet Kouga."  
  
Something dark flashed across his eyes at the endearment she chose to address him as. "Yes, well as your friend, I make it my business to make sure your safety is ensured." Kagewaki answered steadily. Sesshoumaru felt himself growling once more at the rich texture of the voice he had grown to despise.  
  
He looked up at the portion of the tree where Kouga was standing and looking at him. "I told you Kagewaki was the one you needed to watch out for," Kouga informed him before redirecting his attention to his part of the scene.  
  
"How is your father?" Kouga asked as he continued to walk balanced along the limb. His eyes were trained on the young man but never did he lose his footing.  
  
"He is well. He's still a bit upset about Napoleon selling this land to America, but, he's got enough to worry about." Kagewaki answered locking eyes with the commoner a frown evident upon his features.  
  
Kagome walked towards him and lightly placed her palm across his forearm. His attention immediately snapped towards her and a small smile replaced his former frown. "Yes?"  
  
"What do you mean; your father has enough to worry about? Is there something wrong with the plantation?" Kagome asked worriedly.  
  
Kagewaki moved his hand to the small of her back and began to lead her towards Kouga's tree. The latter was watching the exchange with fire in his eyes but remained silent. Kagewaki and Kagome sat at the base of the tree and Kouga hopped down to sit across from them.  
  
Kagewaki first looked Kagome in the eye and then Kouga. "You two are my closest friends. I will admit that before I had met you," he looked at Kouga, "I had hoped to make an offer for Kagome to be my wife."  
  
Kagome shifted uneasily as she locked eyes with Kouga. He seemed to be telling her 'I told you so,' silently. "Go on," she encouraged Kagewaki as he faltered in his speech.  
  
Kagewaki wrapped his arm around her shoulder in a friendly manner, but not one to cause alarm. "From the moment I laid eyes upon you, I wanted you for my own. But, when I met Kouga, I saw the way you two looked at one another. It was something I could not compete with, so I settled to befriend you and thereby made friends with Kouga as well."  
  
Kouga cleared his throat, he wasn't angry with the other man. He understood and begrudgingly had to admit that he did care about him somewhat. They were tentative friends. "So your father has an issue with our friendship?" He inquired pointing to himself and Kagome.  
  
The other man nodded his head. "Somewhat. He has been trying to promise my hand in marriage to someone with political authority. The governor's daughter would have been the perfect choice in that respect." Kagewaki explained.  
  
"I'm sorry, but you know that my heart belongs to Kouga. Your father should allow you to live your own life. He shouldn't force you to marry for political alliance. That's so medieval. It should be for love," Kagome argued, looking sternly at her friend beside her. She pulled his arm off from around her shoulder and held his hand within her own and squeezed it encouragingly. "You should stand up to him."  
  
Kagewaki laughed at her flippant attitude. "Kagome, baby doll, I have, trust me I have." He smiled at Kouga. "So when the two of you sail West and you need a crew be sure to enlist me, I'm pretty sure I won't be having an inheritance here unless my father has his way."  
  
Kouga leaned over on his knees and stretched his hand towards Kagewaki. The two shook. "It would be my pleasure having a friend I could trust accompany us on our grand adventure."  
  
The scene began to vanish before Sesshoumaru who was observing everything silently. Kagome and Kagewaki disappeared followed by the forest and creek. The only thing that remained was Kouga and his tree.  
  
Kouga's attention was focused on the tree; his back was presented to Sesshoumaru. "I trusted Kagewaki with both my life and hers. He was a true friend to the both of us, but that blind trust was foolish on my part. On his own, he would have remained a true ally. However, in that time young men seldom had any authority over their own lives." Kouga explained.  
  
"That man was Naraku." Sesshoumaru replied; his eyes bore into the back of Kouga, willing him to turn around and face him.  
  
Kouga did just that, a bright smile upon his face as he began to inspect his nails once more. "So he is."  
  
"He is the man's reincarnation? Were you reincarnated into the young man whom died in the car accident?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice carefully restrained to mask the excitement he was feeling at unraveling the puzzle.  
  
Kouga shook his head sadly. "I have not been reincarnated, nor do I believe I will be. I have a responsibility that does not allow that luxury. I told you before we are both victims."  
  
"What about Kagewaki? Is Naraku his reincarnate?" Sesshoumaru demanded, taking a menacing step towards Kouga when he looked to remain silent and leave the question unanswered.  
  
Kouga looked back at the sky, it had reappeared and storm clouds were filling the heavens. "No," Kouga answered softly. He looked back over at Sesshoumaru; sadness filled his icy eyes. The look of utter misery expressed in those orbs tugged at Sesshoumaru's heartstrings. Was this pity he felt?  
  
"I can tell you no more. I shouldn't have shown you this, but you have given up so much for her in the past, I thought that perhaps you could save her." Kouga began to fade.  
  
"What do you mean? Do you know about my dream that I told Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice pleading. He didn't want the mysterious Kouga to leave him with enough information to cause him to have more questions.  
  
"It was no dream you had, but a memory. I wish that I could be the one to save her this time, but it was you who was given this chance, not I." Kouga answered solemnly, his body wavering in the dim light of the stormy sky above.  
  
"How do I do that? How do I wake up from that damn coma? I can't do anything right now as this!" Sesshoumaru nearly shouted at the man, his fists clenched to his sides in his frustration.  
  
Kouga's body regained its corporal state as he walked towards Sesshoumaru. He grabbed tight onto his shoulder, his fingers nearly digging into his flesh. "You must find the strength to wake up for both our sakes. If you do not, the curse will consume both her and Kagewaki. You must find a way." Then, Kouga took a step back and vanished completely.  
  
Sesshoumaru's chin fell to his chest at the sense of abandonment he felt himself in. He finally had some questions answered, the puzzle was becoming less complex and now he had to contend with some curse. All he wanted was to be given the complete picture not this Swiss cheese rendition of things.  
  
Next thing he knew, he found himself back at the hospital. His comatose body had yet to move and his brother was sitting at his side reading to him. Never had he known Inuyasha to be much of a reader.  
  
Inuyasha closed the book; it was The Odyssey. He looked at his older brother; his violet eyes wet with unshed tears. "Why won't you wake up you bastard? Do you like making me feel useless? Even when you aren't trying you only seem to prove to me that I'm worthless. I can't even make you twitch a finger, much less wake up."  
  
Inuyasha leaned back in his chair and held his hands up to his face before running them through his unruly long, black hair. Sesshoumaru could see that his eyes were bloodshot and were filled with tears but that he refused to shed them, even alone in solitude.  
  
"Inuyasha, you fool, this is not your fault," Sesshoumaru told him, but of course his stupid brother couldn't hear him. "Stop being upset! This has nothing to do with you!" He shouted at the younger man.  
  
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Inuyasha stood up. He reached his hand over to his brother's forehead and brushed aside his bangs. "I know we act like we hate each other, but please don't die on me. You've got to wake up."  
  
Sesshoumaru watched as his little brother slowly left the room. He turned back to his body after the door shut. He allowed his spirit to lie on his own body and become confined within his bodily shell. He tried with all his might to make some part of him move, open his eyes, anything!  
  
It was useless. There had to be some other way to wake up. He needed to get to Kagome. That much was clear to him. He didn't have the energy to get to her now even if only in spirit. He would have to recharge, so to speak.  
  
As he allowed his mind to rest at ease Kouga's words haunted him.  
  
**TBC**


	8. CG VIII

**A/N**: **So I live on an island now and just walked through water that was a foot and a half deep. Having wet shoes and socks and pants is NOT cool! I started graduate school on Monday and am taking classes like Pathophysiology and Human Anatomy so my updates will most likely be reeeeeally slow. Enjoy! Belle**

**Catatonic Guardian: VIII**  
  
It was early on Wednesday morning when Professor Kikyo arrived at the manner to begin her tutoring of Kagome and Naraku. She knocked lightly upon the front door but there was no answer. The female professor grew frustrated. Onigumo had specifically requested that she arrive at this particular time and he didn't bother having the door answered?  
  
Finally, steps on the inside of the house could be heard and the unlocking of doors took place. On the inside of the door stood Onigumo. The look he was giving Kikyo unnerved her. She felt like she was some object on display. She would most definitely have a talk with her husband, Suikotsu about this. What kind of favor could he possibly owe a man like this that had gotten her into accepting this position? Surely this wasn't simply about the exuberant sums of money she could earn.  
  
"Kikyo, so good of you to come," Onigumo's lips curled into a slow smile.  
  
"Are the children ready to begin their lessons?" Kikyo inquired briskly, not letting his demeanor affect her the way it threatened to.  
  
Onigumo laughed easily and gestured for her enter. "They are hardly children my dear Kikyo." He began to lead the woman up the two flights of stairs that led to the third floor. Kagome and Naraku were both sitting at opposite ends of the table in there. Kagome's face was hidden in her folded arms as she slept some more.  
  
Naraku was watching her intently to see if she would act peculiar or if she truly thought the previous night was merely a dream. Either she was a superb actress or he felt that he should probably be incredibly insulted.  
  
"Shall we begin?" Kikyo asked as Onigumo closed the door behind him and left the three to themselves. Naraku and Kagome glanced briefly at Kikyo and shrugged in unison. "Let's try not to be so enthusiastic, you may hurt yourselves," Kikyo remarked sarcastically.  
  
Kikyo sat between her two students at the large table they were sitting at. She pulled out a large binder from her book bag and placed it before her. "Where shall we begin?"  
  
Naraku merely looked back at his teacher impassively. Kagome shifted nervously. "Well at my last school I was taking government, calculus, physics, English, and art." Kagome answered since Naraku was choosing silence.  
  
Kikyo nodded and made notes on a journal that she had pulled out from her binder. "I see, well we won't be doing too much today. I will probably cover all of those topics. Shall we begin with Calculus? Naraku are you familiar with that math?"  
  
An ebon brow rose at the mere suggestion that he would be unfamiliar with such a subject. "Of course I am familiar with it. Do you think me daft?"  
  
Kagome frowned at his choice of words. He reminded her of Kagewaki from her dreams. But that was a ridiculous thought. She looked around the room as a sense of anxiety washed over her. Where was Sesshoumaru?  
  
Kikyo was talking to Naraku about something regarding his poor manners, but Kagome wasn't really paying attention. She found herself sneaking furtive glances at her step-brother, her realistic dream of passion about him the night before was bothering her.  
  
"I actually think I'll combine today's lesson on Calculus with Physics. You can use the Calculus formulas and equations to solve the questions on these hand outs. I'd like to see how advanced you are before I start to teach." Kikyo handed both her students a slip of paper with various word problems that needed to be worked out.  
  
Naraku snorted at what he saw and shook his head in disappointment. Couldn't his father have at least pretended to find some sort of academic challenge for his mind? He glanced over at Kagome and noticed how her eyes widened at the questions. Perhaps he could tutor her? A small smile was beginning to form on his lips as he thought about how a late night study session could lead to much more enjoyable activities.  
  
"You're doing that wrong," a voice whispered into Kagome's ear. She could sense a presence leaning over her shoulder and peering at her problems. This silvery hair tickling her cheek was a dead give away to who it was, if the sexy voice wasn't enough. She was trying to determine the velocity of a projectile cannon ball over a particular distance with a certain amount of friction involved.  
  
Kagome chewed on her pen cap, silently going over her work. She didn't see where she was messing up. It was taking longer to solve than she would like, but she wasn't wrong.  
  
"You are doing the long version. I'll show you the short cut." Sesshoumaru replied as he concentrated and placed his hand over her's that was holding the pen. He was then able to guide it to work out the solution that the way he had envisioned. He was an Engineer after all so Physics came as second nature to him. He was surprised when he could actually feel the heat from Kagome's hand within his palm. His fingers tingled as they encased her fingers.  
  
He removed his hand when he was finished solving the equation. By the look of understanding lighting Kagome's face he knew that he had shown her the correct method. He remained where he was, leaning over her shoulder and peering down at her work as she continued with the final problem.  
  
Sesshoumaru wanted to know what had happened after he had been forced to abandon her. He glared at Naraku, or Kagewaki, whoever the hell he was. He better not have tried anything with the woman he was charged to guard.  
  
He was present earlier when she was alone with Naraku in this room. However, his presence was but a shadow and was now more solidified. She couldn't sense him before but he certainly didn't miss the blush on her cheeks when she looked at Naraku.  
  
The sight caused his blood to boil.  
  
Kikyo relaxed as she watched her two students diligently working through the problems. Naraku finished and pushed his paper away and watched Kagome with rapt attention. Kikyo picked up his paper and was impressed that he had solved everything efficiently and accurately. It had taken her at least twenty minutes to work out these problems. It had only taken him five.  
  
She was even more surprised when Kagome handed her paper over. Her problems were solved in an even more efficient manner than Naraku. It was as if she had taken college level Physics. "You both have worked these out perfectly," Kikyo admitted, admiring their work. "It's interesting that you both solved the problems using different methods."  
  
"Is this all you have for us?" Naraku demanded with his patience thin. There was something about that woman that annoyed him. Maybe he was just in a bad mood because she was in the way of him being alone with Kagome. He would love for a repeat of the previous night's activities.  
  
Kagome smiled at Kikyo apologetically. "Actually, I need to use the restroom real quick. I'll be right back." She stood from her chair and used her crutches that were leaning against the wall behind her.  
  
Naraku immediately shot to his feet. "I'll help you." He offered.  
  
"No, it's okay. I have to learn to do some things by myself," Kagome excused herself as she hobbled her way towards the restroom.  
  
Once inside she turned to look at Sesshoumaru. He had followed her, surmising she wished to speak with him privately. Surely he wouldn't have followed if he had thought otherwise. She shut the door behind them in the restroom. "I appreciate your help, but I can not accept such aid in the future. It's cheating!"  
  
He shrugged. "No, I was merely showing you how to do it. I was teaching you." Sesshoumaru replied. She was clearly over reacting. "Would you care to explain what happened to you last night?"  
  
Kagome's face flushed suddenly as the images of her in Naraku's arms came flooding back. She would not share that dream! "I just remember going to sleep."  
  
Sesshoumaru looked away. He could tell she was lying. The idea of her not telling him the truth hurt him in a way he didn't think possible. "Hurry, they will expect you to return soon."  
  
Kagome walked behind him and placed her hand upon his shoulder, only it passed through him as if he were a wisp of cloud. "Sesshoumaru?"  
  
"I will return; I feel suddenly as if I'm being called away." Sesshoumaru replied. He was feeling suddenly distant from her as if someone was calling him to his body. It reminded him of his annoying little brother's voice.  
  
Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru seemed to vanish. She sighed in disappointment. Sure, they didn't talk much but she really had hoped to spend more time with him that day. She returned to her teacher and her fellow student.  
  
"Any questions you two might have for me? I'd say it's obvious the things I brought would be nothing more than busy work." Kikyo was both pleased at her youths' intelligence and annoyed that her job would be more difficult.  
  
"Actually," Kagome began, "I wanted to know if you were familiar with the history of this part of Louisiana."  
  
Kikyo shook her head. "I'm afraid that I don't know the New Orleans area very well. My husband and I only recently moved out here a few months ago."  
  
"If you are interested in the history of the city, we are only about an hour away. I would be more than happy to take you to the French Quarters. That way you can see history first hand." Naraku suggested. The idea of walking down Bourbon Street with Kagome at his side was very appealing. It would be just like old times. Had it really been nearly two centuries since he had taken this very woman or her former incarnation at least, on such an outing?  
  
Kagome was caught off guard by the invitation. However, she found that it was an invitation that she couldn't deny. What was wrong with her? Why was she so excited about spending time with Naraku of all people? Wasn't he some obsessed jerk? She had really better touch base with her friends to make sure she wasn't losing her sanity.  
  
"That sounds like fun," she replied casting Naraku a smile. The idea truly did excite her.  
  
"You'll have to tell me about it. My husband and I haven't even found time to explore that area," Kikyo informed the pair as she gathered her belongings.  
  
"You should come too!" Kagome suggested. She noticed Naraku's eyes seemed to darken for an instant at the invitation before they seemed to light up with an inner light.  
  
"Yes Kikyo, do come and bring your husband Dr. Suikotsu along as well." Naraku replied amiably. Perhaps it would be better if there was some sort of supervision per say. Kagome would be less likely to be nervous around him. Most likely she would be nervous around Kikyo and seek reassurance in his own presence. That idea held great merit with him.  
  
Kikyo allowed a small smile to come to her features. "I will talk to him as soon as I return home. I think we may take you up on the offer."  
  
"Wait," Kagome called as Kikyo began to leave the room. The older woman turned towards her. "Any news on that young man, Sesshoumaru? He's the one in the coma that your husband was working with."  
  
Kikyo frowned. "Sadly, there has been no improvement in his condition. But I wouldn't worry about it. From what I hear, he was a nasty individual, a true heartless one. The world may be better off without the likes of him."  
  
"You shouldn't judge people," Kagome replied softly. Kikyou didn't seem to hear as she tossed the pair a casual wave over her shoulder and left the room. Naraku heard though.  
  
"Do not be upset by her callous words. I doubt if she was thinking." Naraku assured her; he stood and moved to sit on the table top directly in front of her. He reached down to hold her chin and smiled at her in an endearing fashion. "Chin up; you have an exciting day ahead of you as soon as you can start walking. I will speak with father about acquiring you a walking cast." He then released her chin and silently left her alone in the room.  
  
Kagome shook her head. She was starting to be attracted to that man. Days ago he appalled her and now she was dreaming naughty things about him! She needed to talk to Sango now!  
  
Kagome utilized her crutches once more to make her way down the stairs. She was pretty sure the telephone was in the kitchen. There was always a telephone in the kitchen. As she made her way down the stairs she marveled as the thought hit her that she hadn't used the phone once since arriving. She hadn't seen her younger brother all day either. That was starting to bother her.  
  
She noticed her step-father alone in the kitchen. He was drinking coffee and sitting at the kitchen table with a newspaper in his hand. He lowered the paper and watched as she made her way into the kitchen. No words were exchanged.  
  
He observed as she searched for a telephone in vain. "Looking for something?" he asked, knowing she wouldn't find what it was she sought.  
  
Kagome turned to him, and ran her fingers through her bangs. They were obstructing her view. "I wanted to call Sango."  
  
Onigumo shook his head and picked back up his newspaper.  
  
"What does that mean? Are you not allowing me to call my friend?" Kagome demanded, her tone none too happy.  
  
Onigumo slowly lowered his newspaper calmly. "No, I am telling you that it is impossible. There is no telephone in this home."  
  
"But that's ridiculous! No place doesn't have a telephone!" Kagome cried in disbelief.  
  
"There is no phone for you to use." He pulled a cellular phone out of his breast pocket and laid it upon the kitchen table. Kagome made to pick it up but he slammed his hand on top of hers. "This is not a phone for personal use." He frowned at her annoyed. "I run a business and will not allow frivolous calls to be made."  
  
"What? Why can't I talk to my friends? And where's Souta and mother?" Kagome demanded as she wrenched her hand away from his, but unfortunately wasn't able to attain the phone.  
  
Onigumo looked at her with a look of complete loathing for a moment before it melted off into something more indifferent. "That is none of your concern. Perhaps you should find Naraku. Is he not your friend?"  
  
"Fine. At least he's not a sick bastard like you," Kagome muttered under her breath certain that horrible man couldn't hear her.  
  
Onigumo waited until she left the room before laughing to himself. "The apple never falls far from the tree Kagome."  
  
######################  
  
Inuyasha cautiously opened the door to the familiar hospital room. This afternoon Miroku had agreed to join him. His two new friends, Miroku and Sango, had been a big help in his transition of starting a new school.  
  
He was still unsure why he visited his brother every afternoon. It wasn't as if it was making him wake up anytime soon. The sight was always the same. The great and mighty Sesshoumaru was lying prostrate on his back with no sign of movement other than the steady rise and fall of his chest. Wires connected to his body to supply him with fluids.  
  
If his brother woke up he would probably be annoyed and disgusted to discover that he had been using a bed pan for the last few weeks. That particular thought brought a smile to the young man's face. What he wouldn't give to see his brother knocked off his cloud nine and join the rest of the lowly humans!  
  
"Inuyasha, are you alright?" Miroku asked concerned as he shut the door behind them so no one would see Sesshoumaru's silent form inside. Inuyasha had been very clear that no one outside of them or the high dollar doctor were allowed to see Sesshoumaru this way. It was almost comical to see how over protective he was of his older brother. They must have been really close before all of this.  
  
"Keh, of course I'm fine. Can't a guy think to himself without being hassled?" Inuyasha folded his arms over his chest at the 'stupid' question as his violet eyes flashed with annoyance.  
  
His friend answered with an amiable, lazy smile. "Forgive my hassling." Miroku fought to contain the chuckle rising in his chest at his new found friend's embarrassment. Sango had wanted to join them this afternoon but Inuyasha refused to allow more than one other person to accompany him when he saw his brother. The over protective quality he had for his brother was quite admirable.  
  
Inuyasha didn't reply, he simply ignored his friend and wandered over to the chair he had claimed every afternoon. He pulled it closer to the bed and simply stared at his brother. That clingy woman, Kagura, had tried to see him but he had refused to allow that. She had no idea where he was and he intended on keeping it that way.  
  
Sesshoumaru may have been private but it was clear that he had broken up with the woman. That didn't bother Inuyasha, he knew it would happen sooner or later. He was slightly surprised that it didn't happen before. He never did like that woman. Something about her gave him the creeps.  
  
Miroku leaned on the wall next to Inuyasha and stared down at the silent form on the hospital bed. He really was quite exotic looking. His long silver hair seemed otherworldly and he had to wonder what his eyes must have looked like. Unconsciously he leaned down to touch a strand of the long silver hair. Exactly how long had he been in a coma again? A throat cleared, distracting him from his musings. He nodded his head down to regard Inuyasha.  
  
"You don't have to stay. All I'm really going to do is watch him. It's not like he does anything." Inuyasha told him. He was starting to feel nervous with Miroku standing over him. Normally he would talk to his brother, but he felt stupid doing so with someone else in the room.  
  
"Actually, I was wanting to talk to you." Miroku replied.  
  
Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like talking about himself. Miroku seemed to read where his thoughts trailed off. "No, it's not about you. I actually wanted to talk about my friend Kagome. I didn't want to worry Sango and I know you didn't really meet her, but you still know who I'm talking about."  
  
"Okay," Inuyasha answered unsure of where this conversation could lead. He remembered the young woman being pretty shaken; she was just in a fatal accident that resulted in the death of her boyfriend. To make matters worse, he was the brother of the one who basically killed the guy. She did seem really nice though. From what he heard around school she was sorely missed by the entire populous.  
  
Miroku moved to the unoccupied chair and pulled it out to sit in. He cast a quick glance to Sesshoumaru before turning back to his friend. "We haven't heard from her in a while. She promised to get in touch with us, at least call. I'm confident that she would have if she had been allowed to do so."  
  
"Maybe she just got busy." Inuyasha replied. He raised his fingers to his mouth to chew on his nail nervously. Why was he feeling so uncomfortable talking about this girl he hardly knew? Was it because Sesshoumaru was in the room and was the reason for her grief? But then, she certainly didn't seem to hold any grudge against his brother.  
  
"Stop chewing your nails, it's disgusting." Miroku snapped. Sometimes it was as if Inuyasha had been raised wild in some forest. He simply had no manners at all. "And besides I already told you that Kagome has forgiven your brother. I doubt if she ever held any grudge against him in the first place."  
  
Inuyasha lowered his hands and glared at his new friend. What was his problem? What was so wrong about chewing on his fingernails? It wasn't like anyone was watching. Besides it wasn't like he was picking his nose. Which he NEVER did. No guy does that.  
  
"So what is your point?" Inuyasha bit out annoyed. Sometimes life would be so much easier if people wouldn't beat around the bush and simply spelled out what they had in mind.  
  
"I want to drive out to Louisiana and visit her." Miroku stated simply.  
  
"So?"  
  
"So, you're coming with Sango and me." Miroku explained. He looked over at the comatose form of Sesshoumaru once more. "It's not healthy, you staying here all the time. This trip will be good for you. Sango and I are going whether or not you chose to accompany us."  
  
Inuyasha looked over at his brother before replying. Why did he bother looking at Sesshoumaru for advice? Even if he was awake he wouldn't have helped him. He tucked his arms up his sleeves in his nervous habit. "Keh, whatever."  
  
Miroku had a wide grin spread across his face as he clapped Inuyasha hard across the back. "Great! Road trips are so much fun and you'll absolutely adore Kagome! Why if she hadn't moved away I would have set you two up. Of course," he looked down at Inuyasha appraisingly. "She is too good for you."  
  
Inuyasha merely stared at his friend in silence. He didn't want to bombard him with fowl words so he kept his lips sealed.  
  
Miroku misjudged his silent behavior and glanced back at Sesshoumaru. "Perhaps we should ask your brother?" He tapped Sesshoumaru on the shoulder.  
  
There was no response.  
  
Miroku cleared his throat. "Sesshoumaru, I come to inform you that your little brother who has been standing vigilant at your side will be absent a few days. He's coming on a trip with me to visit Kagome, the girl you got in the accident with. I'm sure you have no problem with this."  
  
Miroku turned back and smiled at Inuyasha before walking past him. At the door he turned, "I'll be outside in case you want a few minutes alone."  
  
Inuyasha watched as the door shut behind his friend before resuming his chair by Sesshoumaru's bedside. "He's crazy. I'm sure you probably would have agreed if you could have met him." Inuyasha told him.  
  
He sighed when he noticed nothing different from his brother and stood up to leave. "Well, I hope you wake up. You're even more intolerable when you can't even ignore me consciously."  
  
As the doors shut behind Inuyasha, no one was around to see the heart monitor speed up ever so slightly. No one saw the fingers on the left hand twitch.  
  
No one heard the words that passed through the dry, cracked, unused lips of Sesshoumaru as he muttered, "Kagome."  
  
**TBC**


	9. CG IX

**CG: IX**

Kagome sighed as she tapped her hi-lighter against her desk in a rhythm that none could hear save herself in her own mind. Three days had passed since she had last seen Sesshoumaru and she was starting to worry about him.

Not that she missed him or anything, because she could live without the hauntings of an arrogant ghost who refused to admit he was ghost. She tried to concentrate on the text book before her, but what she really wanted to research were statistics about individuals in comas.

True, it was foolish to hope that Sesshoumaru would wake up, they should both just get used to him being her personal guardian spirit….thingie. She still wasn't sure exactly what he was other than her spiritual stalker, but he wasn't dead technically.

"Ugh!" Kagome cried out frustrated as she threw her hi-lighter at the wall behind her desk, deciding there was no way she could memorize the Kreb's Cycle.

Amused laughter seemed to float down from above as she swiveled abruptly in her desk chair in search of the arrogant, cocky, cold, superiority complex suffering individual who couldn't accept the fact that he was nothing more than a ghost!

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes twinkled with amusement as he regarded the woman in front of him. He had been watching for a few minutes and noticed she was no longer studying but that her mind had wandered instead in some unknown direction. How at times like that he wished that he was given the power of a mind-reader. Actually, when he next met up with Kouga or Rin he would put in the request. It would only serve to make him a more effective guardian. He obviously didn't have any ulterior motives.

"Do you find throwing hi-lighters at the wall conducive to your ability to study?" Sesshoumaru inquired as he leaned over Kagome and looked down at her open book, recognizing the chart she was trying to memorize. "I understand now, this Sesshoumaru never cared much for the Kreb's cycle."

Kagome stood, pausing for a moment in confusion when she brushed against Sesshoumaru's frame in the process and felt him being corporal before shimmering before her and taking on a misty substance again. "Where have you been?" She hissed, trying to keep her voice down. She didn't need to attract any more attention from Naraku.

No doubt the dark haired young man thought she was loony.

Sesshoumaru ignored the question. He was too confused about what happened since he last left her that he didn't dare answer for he didn't know the answer. He kept his attention focused upon the text book. "Would you like me to help you study?"

Blue-grey eyes blinked at him in shock at his blatant ignoring of her question. "Are you going to answer me?" She demanded crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance and giving her guest her most menacing glare.

Sesshoumaru tore his eyes away from the Biology book and met her gaze head on. "No."

Her arms fell to her sides. "What do you mean no?"

A silvery brow raised at the question. "Must I find a dictionary to explain the meaning of such a simple word?"

"You're impossible!" Kagome told him in a loud whisper as she reached past him for her book shelf and pulled out her world history book. She'd had enough of Biology for the night. She walked towards her bed and sat down, opening the text to page 458 to start her assigned readings.

Sesshoumaru glided towards the temperamental young woman with the obsidian tresses that he had the biggest urge to run his fingers through. He wanted to know if they were as silky as they looked. He wanted to know what he must have discovered about the feel of her body against his in his past life as a demon lord.

He settled himself beside her on the large mattress. She ignored him, causing his own temper to rise. He had been unable to return to her for three days, for reasons he himself didn't comprehend and she was just ignoring him!

"Woman, what are you reading?"

Kagome jumped at the unexpected closeness of his voice. She had actually been so wrapped up in ignoring him that she had forgotten his presence. A slight blush rose up her cheeks as she now realized how little space separated the two from one another. His longer silvery hair brushed up against her bare arm, she couldn't feel it before, but now that he gained her attention she could feel the silky texture.

Comprehending how he addressed her, she frowned. "Don't call me woman," she snapped, as she looked back down at the book to study about the Byzantine Empire.

She didn't read very much as annoyed growling, that reminded her of a dog oddly enough, interrupted her. She glanced over at her companion. "Do not ignore this, Sesshoumaru. Would you prefer that I refer to you as a girl?"

"**_This Sesshoumaru_**," she mocked, "could refer to this woman as Kagome. I will not answer by any other name." She looked back down at the pictures in the text book, reading the captions for each, finding it hard to concentrate.

"**_Miko_**," Sesshoumaru sneered, before shaking his head at his slip. "Kagome, may I help you study?" He asked, gritting his teeth and making a real effort to be civil. She was being difficult, but he had a feeling she was angry with him for not being around for a few days, probably missed him. But then, it wasn't his fault. He would have been here sooner if possible, but that wasn't her business to know.

Kagome closed her book and turned to fully face Sesshoumaru. "I'm sorry," she bit her lip before continuing. "I was just worried that you weren't coming back."

"Are you upset that I returned?" Sesshoumaru demanded, feeling angry with himself at the sense of negativity that radiated through his soul at the prospect of being rejected by her.

Her eyes grew wide, "Heavens no!" She reached for him, forgetting half the time he wasn't really there and wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug. She started laughing in relief when she could feel his presence somewhat and her arms only sunk into his person a little bit.

Sesshoumaru tentatively returned the embrace, as he lifted his hands to her dark tresses. He knew he was touching them, but it was weird. He couldn't distinguish the texture of them, he just knew he was feeling it in some general way.

Kagome pulled back and opened the book again. She looked down at the page she had previously been on and refused to look at him in her embarrassment. "I have a quiz about this chapter tomorrow."

"I'll help quiz you then," Sesshoumaru decided. Kagome looked about to protest but he cut her off. "I will quiz you. If you will not allow my advice during the quiz at least let me help prepare you."

"I don't really need help studying," Kagome told him. She made excellent grades and never studied in groups. It was unnecessary.

"Non-sense," Sesshoumaru ignored her objection. "I have nothing else to do, at least allow me to learn something while I'm here."

Kagome couldn't think of any argument against that so she consented to listen to her mysterious companion's soothing voice that she had grown to adore. She had a feeling now that whenever something related to the Byzantine Empire came to her mind she'd be thinking of a certain silver haired, golden eyed young man.

-------------------------------

Dr. Suikotsu was observing the catatonic form of Sesshoumaru West for the umpteenth time. His father was a powerful man and left the Neurologist little choice but to give his unfortunate son his utmost attention.

Nothing new seemed to happen. At least, that was until three days ago. Suikotsu had his beeper set to alert him if anything significant happened with the pattern of Sesshoumaru West's brainwaves.

Three days ago, something significant happened.

When he arrived at the hospital the catatonic young man seemed back to the same state he was in last he checked. Upon reading the visitor's log he concluded that his brother must have just left the room when the activity began.

He hadn't been too fond of West's youngest son, but he had a feeling that the youth's persistence in keeping his brother company was doing some good.

"Come on Sesshoumaru, you're going to have to be strong and fight this. A lot of people are waiting for you to wake up," Suikotsu told the sleeping figure before leaving once more to work with some of his other patients.

He needed to return to Lousianna and perform a delicate brain operation on a pair of twins that were conjoined at the base of the skull.

--------------------------------

Inuyasha groaned and banged his head against his desk at his Calculus teacher's announcement.

"So I hope you will all be prepared on Monday for this exam. I realize many of you were hoping to get it out over with tomorrow but I have to be out of town, so we'll be taking it Monday instead." Mr. Runi smiled at his students as the bell rang and they filed out his classroom before turning back to the blackboard and erasing his chalk workings.

Inuyasha trudged down the hallway towards his locker. Normally he enjoyed Calculus; he was always a wiz at mathematics. However, this development ruined Miroku's plans for a trip to visit Kagome in New Orleans.

Miroku clapped a hand on his shoulder as he shook his head in disgust. "Can you believe that?"

"I can't go with you guys this weekend," Inuyasha replied. "I am going to have to study the new material for the exam since he decided to add in chapter nine to the existing material."

Miroku shrugged, as was natural with his easy going personality. "No worries, Sango had Mr. Runi the period before you so I already knew. We'll be going next weekend."

After slamming shut his locker, Inuyasha turned to Miroku and gave a brief salute before heading for the exit. "Well see ya, I gotta visit the vegetable."

Miroku watched as his new friend left and worry clouded his violet eyes. He was growing concerned about Kagome. He was tempted to drive down to New Orleans by himself just to check up on her, but knew that Sango would never forgive him for not taking her with him.

"Oh well, I'm sure she's fine," Miroku muttered under his breath. A pretty young woman happened to pass him by at that moment and his attention focused on the swishing back and forth of her mesmerizing hips.

He looked down at his watch.

He had fifteen minutes before he was supposed to meet Sango to give her a ride home.

"Excuse me miss," he called. The young woman, a sophomore by the looks of it, turned around and looked at him shyly as she brushed back her long auburn hair over her shoulder.

"Yes?" She asked with a giggle.

Miroku smiled charmingly at her. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you beautiful."

He didn't even see it coming when a heavy backpack loaded with several heavy textbooks came hurtling at his head and sent him crashing into a nearby set of lockers. The sophomore quickly took off running as fast as her too tall high heeled shoes would allow her.

"That is why I won't let you drive across the country to visit Kagome. Who knows what you'd pick up from the side of the road," Sango informed her dazed boyfriend as she helped him to his feet.

Despite his swirly eyes and the stars dancing around his head, Miroku smiled. "Sango love, you're early!"

A pair of dark caramel colored eyes rolled in annoyance. "Let's go pervert."

------------------------------

Sesshoumaru set the book aside and looked down at Kagome who had fallen asleep on him. He smiled, grateful that he was more corporal this evening. Maybe spending three days away resulted in him being stronger?

He really didn't want to research the idea. Not only was he confused by his existence at this point in time, he knew he wasn't dead, but the fear that he might do something to severe the connection between his spirit and his body was ever present.

He wanted to ask her some questions. They hadn't spoken that evening other than things related to her quiz for the next morning. The history he was really interested in was the one between Kagome and himself.

"What happened to us in that lifetime?" Sesshoumaru asked the slumbering girl. He didn't expect her to answer, so when she did he was surprised, especially since she was still sound asleep.

"Sesshou, why did you do it?" Kagome asked; her eyes were still shut tight, hidden behind the heavy lids. Her relaxed posture was further proof that she was talking in her sleep.

"What did I do?" Sesshoumaru asked softly, leaning to whisper in her ear, wishing that he could blow into the shell and cause her to shiver. Unfortunately, he could only go through the motions. Perhaps he should be thankful that he was at least able to hold her. Especially since she was asleep and couldn't scold him for being some sort of pervert, which he certainly was not!

Kagome snuggled against him, seeking a warmth that he simply couldn't offer in his current condition. "You gave up your heritage, your eternal life, your title of demon lord."

"What happened after I did that?" Sesshoumaru prodded. Perhaps she was able to reach into the very recesses of the memories contained within the fabric of her soul.

She smiled in her sleep, "We lived happily ever after of course."

Sesshoumaru frowned as she appeared to be finished. That wasn't exactly the answer he was looking for. He shook her gently, causing her to swat at him in her unconscious state, hoping to make the annoyance that was him leave her be.

"Did something go wrong?" Sesshoumaru demanded. He kept picturing the sad look in Kouga's icy eyes that seemed to melt only when looking at Kagome. He remembered how Kouga had desired to be the one to protect her in this lifetime but he was unable to. What was the connection between himself and Kouga.

Kagome shook her head, "No my lord. Everything was just perfect, except…."she trailed off.

"Except?"

"Except for Kouga. Demons don't have souls, but when you made your wish, we became soul mates, but…."

Sesshoumaru felt himself growing annoyed with her leaving sentences unfinished. "But?" He pressed as his patience waned.

"But I already had a soul mate, I just hadn't met him, but before I did, I was already with you."

Sesshoumaru looked down at her in shock. _'What?'_ He allowed her to slumber unperturbed. _'No wonder Kouga can't stand me if I claimed his soul mate, but….she's MINE.'_

He allowed his gaze to focus on the comforting rise and fall of her chest. _'And exactly how does Kagewaki and Naraku relate to all this?'_


	10. CG X

**CG: Chapter X**

The midmorning rays of the sun awoke Kagome the next day. She noted somewhat disappointed that Sesshoumaru was no longer present. Of course the white haired man was arrogant and a total jerk, but there was something about him that made her want to wake up in the mornings.

The idea that he would be present when she awoke still caused a ripple of excitement through her veins. It didn't matter that he was an arrogant jerk, he could be sweet. So what if he was really a ghost and didn't really exist outside of her over active imagination?

He was a very cute hallucination and she really didn't mind having repeated episodes of seeing him. Sighing at her way-ward thoughts Kagome kicked off her comforter and hobbled over towards her dresser to change into some clothes for the day.

Perhaps Onigumo would take her to see someone about a walking cast. At least Suikotsu had left her the pair of crutches. There was a knock at her door, coming from Naraku's room.

"Gee, who could that be?" Kagome questioned jokingly at the door.

A soft moan was her answer. Confused, Kagome hobbled towards the door with the aid of her crutches and rested her forehead against the cool wooden door. "Who is it?" She asked in jest.

"It is the ghooooost of the massssssster's son," the familiar voice of her step-brother hissed from the other side.

Kagome couldn't help but giggle as she pulled open the door to reveal the smiling face of Naraku. "Oh how I adore a good ghost story," Kagome greeted with a daring smile.

Naraku leaned against the doorframe with his right arm. His lean figure towered over her small one as he offered a lop-sided grin. His left hand fell upon her shoulder and slid down her back slowly until it rested at the base of her spine at her waistband. "And I love sending a shiver down that spine of yours," he teased.

Kagome couldn't help but blush. She really shouldn't play this teasing game with him. She was going to get burned. She would have to admit that Naraku was handsome in his own right. And since she was so secluded from her friends, it seemed that the only people she could tease with were either Naraku or her ghostly companion, Sesshoumaru.

It was pretty difficult to decide the lesser of two evils.

Naraku was her step-brother and Sesshoumaru was a figment of her imagination.

"So, do you know where mom and Souta are?" Kagome asked, hoping to ignore the way Naraku's cinnamon eyes had darkened slightly and his fingers had begun to idly massage her lower back.

Naraku pulled his hand away from her back, only to use it to tuck a strand of her raven hair behind her ear. "Father has sent Souta to boarding school already." Kagome's mouth opened to protest, but Naraku continued. "He left while you were asleep yesterday. He wanted to tell you goodbye, but father decided it would be better if he were to leave."

Tears began to gather in Kagome's pale eyes. Naraku offered a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, but you know how father is." Kagome nodded in silent acceptance. Unexpectedly, Naraku pulled Kagome into his embrace and eased her face onto his shoulder where she began to cry.

Idly, Naraku ran his fingers through her dark, silky hair. "Don't worry my precious one. You'll see your little brother soon enough. Father simply wanted him to adjust to the new environment and knew that he would cling to you otherwise."

Kagome nodded reluctantly. "I suppose you're right," she conceded.

"Of course I am baby doll." The grin in Naraku's voice was undeniable as he released Kagome from the cage of his arms and pushed her away from him slightly. He kissed her tenderly upon her forehead. "Father has decided to take you to see the local witch doctor."

She couldn't contain herself. The laughter simply erupted from her at the words. Upon seeing the serious and un-amused expression on Naraku's face she calmed herself. "I'm sorry, I thought you said something about a witch doctor."

Naraku's brow's furrowed. "I did."

"Oh," Kagome, didn't know what else to say.

Naraku ignored the crutches and picked Kagome up into his arms, causing the crutches to fall to the hardwood floor. "Hey!" Kagome protested in shock from her new position. Naraku ignored the undignified tone to her voice and drew her closer to him as he began the descent down the stairs to the foyer to meet his father.

Kagome bit her tongue, realizing the uselessness of arguing her situation. If Naraku wanted to carry her, there really wasn't much she could do outside of throwing a hissy fit. Besides, he would ignore that anyway.

ooooooooOOOOOOooooooooo

Naraku was pleased that she had failed to inquire more about her mother. He hated keeping things secret from her, but his father was right. She didn't need to know. It would be best to keep her secluded from her friends and family right now. She needed to remember. He would prefer if she remembered on her own.

He wasn't ready emotionally to share with her the story of the plantation master's son and the governor's daughter. Two centuries was not enough time to ease the pain in his heart. He doubted if an eternity would be enough time to sooth his pain.

Time to return back to the subject at hand, or rather, in his arms. He really didn't mind carrying her everywhere. Admittedly, he was a bit disappointed that Suikotsu had provided the crutches to her. But, without them she probably would have complained about having her independence encroached.

His father, Onigumo led the way to the old witch's home deep in the Louisiana swamp. The car ride had been uneventful, thankfully.

"Have you ever been here before?" Kagome asked quietly, her breath fanning across his neck as she whispered in his ear.

It was all Naraku could do to keep himself from shivering. "Once, a long time ago," he replied. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, remembering the last and only time he had visited the witch doctor.

Many failed to believe in such things, but he and his father knew all too well about the powers of voodoo. He had no doubt that the witch doctor had some sort of remedies to make Kagome's bones heal faster.

Onigumo held up his hand, to silence the two youth behind him. An old house came into view. They had walked at least two hundred yards away from their parked vehicle. The terrain ill suited for the weight of an automobile.

The front door to the dilapidated dwelling opened and an old woman stood out, waiting for them on her front porch. Her grey hair fell long down her back and she wore an eye patch over one eye.

The solitaire dark eye watched them intently with a mixture of wisdom, apprehension, and caution. Naraku released an inner sigh as he saw no sign of malice, at least not directed towards him or Kagome.

However, the look she reserved for his father was not a welcoming one. It held a trace of intangible malice that he didn't quite understand.

"You have come to seek my aid?" The witch doctor asked politely.

"We have," Onigumo answered.

The old woman looked at him with scorn. "You will return to your vehicle. You are not welcome on my land. I will tend to the children though."

Onigumo's dark eyes raged with hatred for the old woman but he silently turned and left. He cast his son a warning look but otherwise remained quite. Naraku had to wonder about the curious display.

He cleared his throat. "It's been a long time, Kaede."

"Not long enough, apparently," Kaede rejoined gazing at the timid young woman in his arms curiously before meeting his eyes once more. "I see things have come full circle."

Naraku swallowed the lump that was trying to form in his throat. Surely the old woman wouldn't ruin it all with her lack of tact. "So it would seem wise one," Naraku decided to try and flatter the woman.

His reply seemed to amuse the old woman.

"This is Kagome," Naraku continued. This only seemed to further amuse the old woman much to his chagrin. "Her leg, the Tibia to be more specific had been fractured a little more than a week ago. I was hoping you might know of a way to speed up her healing process."

Kaede nodded, but remained silent. Kagome cleared her throat, having over come her fear of the woman apparently. "Naraku and I were hoping to enjoy the French Quarters soon and traveling with my crutches slows us down greatly." She leaned away from Naraku and he had to adjust his grip to keep her from falling as she leaned towards the old woman conspiratorially.

Kaede humored her and stepped closer to the young woman. "I don't mind being carried usually, but I don't think it would be appropriate in the middle of such a busy avenue." Kagome whispered, raising her hand to block her lips from Naraku's eye.

He exchanged a grin with Kaede, not a word lost in Kagome's cleverness. "I'll see what I can do dear, but I think in the least I'll be able to provide you with a walking cast."

Kaede turned back towards her home and gestured for them to follow. Naraku shifted Kagome in his arms again and walked after the witch doctor. Scents of cinnamon, lilac, rosemary, and ginger teased his nose upon entering the home that he hadn't seen in centuries.

"You've been here before right?" Kagome asked Naraku as he walked into the sitting room of the old home. He nodded absently, eyes falling upon the various skeletal remains of different animals. He shuttered at the evidence of voodoo before him. "When was that?"

"A lifetime ago," he replied before sitting on the sofa that Kaede indicated. The old woman gathered various herbs and elements and tossed them into a stone vessel and began to smash them into bits with a stone.

"Place your leg upon this child," Kaede instructed Kagome. Reluctantly, Kagome placed her leg upon the ottoman in front of her. Kaede took a dagger and sliced through the cast as if it were butter.

Kagome exchanged a worried look with Naraku and he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. She didn't need to know that the sharpness of that blade had startled him as well.

Moments later, Kaede applied the salve upon the leg and Kagome immediately cringed. Naraku held her hand in his for support, but knew that wouldn't help much as the salve worked to increase the formation of new bone cells and forced the break to heal itself at an accelerated rate.

Kaede sat back. "We'll be here for an hour. Is there anything you would like to ask of me Kagome?"

Naraku bit his lip. It would figure the old woman would do this. His simple reunion was about to become more complicated. He could just sense it.

Miraculously, Kagome shook her head. "I really can't think of anything ma'am."

Naraku's sigh of relief was too soon. "Perhaps you would like to hear about the curse of the master of the plantation and his son? Its of the home in which you live." Kaede suggested.

Kagome sat up in rapt attention. "I didn't realize they were cursed. Was it a voodoo curse?"

Naraku made cutting marks at his throat to stop Kaede, but she merely smiled at him before ignoring him completely. "It is most certainly a curse of a voodoo sort. Why the young Kagewaki was cursed by the granddaughter of the great Marie Laveau. Are you familiar with that name, Kagome?"

Kagome looked over at Naraku for help, but he was not going to supply anything for this story. "Isn't she the Voodoo Queen?"

"Right you are," Kaede congratulated. "Her granddaughter was a slave who fell madly in love with the master's son, Kagewaki. However, he did not love her."

"That bastard!" Kagome shouted vehemently, pounding her fist on the arm rest of the sofa. "I bet he got her pregnant and then refused her."

Naraku's eyes grew wide at the accusation. Kaede only laughed. "No dear child, he never touched her. That was the problem. He loved not Kagura and that drove her mad especially when she discovered whom he did love."

Kagome's cheeks flushed in embarrassment at her outburst. Of course this Kagewaki didn't do this. She failed to notice Naraku leaning back in the sofa starring at the ceiling while rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"He was in love with the governor's daughter. And she was in love with him." Kaede continued, but Kagome stopped her with a raised hand like a school girl. "Yes?" Kaede acknowledged somewhat amused.

"But, I thought the governor's daughter was engaged to a commoner or something." She looked back over at Naraku for affirmation but he refused to answer.

"Yes, she was child, but unfortunately, the would be pirate prince died most tragically." Kaede explained. Kagome gasped at this, her heart looked as if it was breaking all over again as Naraku watched her.

He placed his arm comfortingly around her shoulder, but she hardly noticed. This was all too familiar to him.

"Kouga died most tragically," Kaede continued. Kagome gasped at the familiar name, but held a hand up to her mouth to stop from interrupting more. "Kagewaki had fallen in love with the governor's daughter, but was also friends with Kouga and had relinquished his hopes of attaining her. After Kouga's death he and the governor's daughter helped one another past the tragedy and gradually fell in love."

Kaede gave Naraku a meaningful glance, but he chose to ignore her would-be sympathy. She turned her attention back to Kagome. "Kagura watched as the master's son and the governor's daughter fell deeply in love. She was consumed with rage and sought the aid of her grandmother, the Voodoo Queen. She placed a terrible curse upon the couple once she discovered that she was herself dying of a deadly disease that had claimed several of the local slaves."

Kagome gasped and squeezed Naraku's hand at this point of the tale. She looked over at him and searched his eyes. "Did you know about this tale?"

Naraku found himself nodding, but he simply could not answer her with words. He was all too familiar with this curse.

Kaede paused, as if trying to decide how much of the curse to reveal. Silently, Naraku prayed that she wouldn't reveal too much and make it known to Kagome. He had waited too long for this chance to have it ruined by an old woman's spite for his father.

"She cursed the young couple. The woman died in her lover's arms and he was forced to live what seemed like an eternity without her, forever alone for he refused the love of any other." Kaede answered, pleasing Naraku with her vague recount while frustrating Kagome.

Kagome pulled her hand out of Naraku's grasp and he immediately missed the warmth. "What do you mean? So he died an old man, never having married? The governor's daughter lost Kouga and then she was lost to Kagewaki? How did she die? How did Kouga die? What happened to Kagewaki?"

Kaede held up her hand to stop the onslaught of questions. "Child please, I can tell you no more. It is time for you to leave now." She reached behind her chair and presented a walking cast and handed it to Kagome.

Naraku frowned. How in the world did she happen to have a walking cast lying about? He wouldn't worry about that now. He was simply content that the old hag didn't ruin everything.

ooooooooOOOOOOoooooooo

Kouga shook his head at the scene angrily. Rin stood beside him and gently tugged on his elbow, but he ignored the pull. He did not want to be calm. He had every right to be angry.

"How dare he claim to be my friend," Kouga muttered vehemently.

"But he was your friend," the quiet childish voice of Rin argued quietly.

Kouga sighed and shrugged, turning away from the images in the old witch doctor's home. "Yeah, I guess," he relented with ill content. "I just wish that Sesshoumaru would wake his worthless self up. She still thinks he's some figment of her imagination."

"Hey!" A cheerful boy greeted, running up beside the unlikely pair. Bright crimson hair bounced with the youth's lively steps. "How's it going little sis?" He asked Rin.

He then turned to Kouga, "How are my parents fairing?"

Kouga rolled his icy orbs at the young man and ran a hand through his long pony tail impatiently. "Only time will tell Shippo."

Emerald eyes flashed with mischief. "You're just sore cause you don't get the girl," Shippo teased. The cold look that Kouga sent him wiped the smile right off his face. "Right, so what do we do now?"

"We can do nothing. I will keep a watch out, besides if Sesshoumaru does wake up he'll probably just get murdered like I did." Kouga replied bitterly.

"Kagewaki didn't kill you," Rin interrupted softly.

"You don't know that," Kouga argued.

"And you don't know that he did," Rin replied evenly.

"So where is wonder boy?" Kouga asked Shippo.

"He was drawn back to his body this morning, I think he may wake up soon actually." Shippo replied.

"Then why did you ask me how your parents were doing if you knew he hasn't even been with Kagome?" Kouga demanded annoyed.

Shippo shrugged. "I just like pissing you off."

"So you think he'll wake up soon?" Rin interrupted before things got out of control.

Kouga turned around and walked away from the two youth. His tree appeared in the void and he climbed up into its boughs and ignored his companions.

Shippo watched sadly as Kouga left. He offered Rin a half-hearted smile. "I certainly hope he does."

ooooooooOOOOOOOOooooooooo

Sesshoumaru merely listened to her ramble. Kagome was sharing a story about a Voodoo curse. Of course it caught his attention because the names of several of the key characters were quite familiar.

The coincidence of the names Kouga, Kagewaki, and Kagura were too great to ignore. Somewhere in the back of his mind he pondered the fact that they all began with the letter K.

"What do you think it means?" Kagome finally asked as she drew to a conclusion.

"I'll admit that those names are not very common and yet they keep surfacing over and over," Sesshoumaru relented.

Kagome looked at him slightly confused. "I've never heard the name of Kagura before though."

Sesshoumaru sat beside her on the window seat. It was his seat anyway, he didn't know what she was thinking of claiming that territory. They watched silently as the sun set in the West. He looked down at her new cast and pondered the fact that the witch doctor had healed her leg remarkably during her visit that morning.

"I won't ignore that there may be something of importance in the story," Sesshoumaru began but was interrupted.

Kagome held her hand over his mouth, and surprisingly he could feel it covering his mouth. The sensation was pleasing, but there was no need for her to know that. "Do you know a Kagura?" Kagome demanded with a frown creasing her forehead.

Sesshoumaru's jaw clenched at the name. "It is the name of my ex-girlfriend. I broke up with her right before our accident. You can imagine she wasn't pleased."

Kagome's hand slipped down and she looked away from him. "That's so odd."

"Kagome, I don't think the story is very important though. I think that perhaps it's an interesting tale, but that's not what's important. The past doesn't matter. There is something going on right now. I have spoken with Kouga."

Kagome's jaw fell slack. "What?" She barely managed to whisper in shock.

"I have spoken with Kouga. He had warned me of Kagewaki, and I believe he is Naraku. You must be the governor's daughter." Sesshoumaru concluded.

"So what do you have to do with any of this?" Kagome demanded frustrated.

Sesshoumaru's head fell against the wall at the simple question. "I'm not sure, but I'm confident that we're going to find out."

"So you're saying you believe this all has to do with past lives?" Kagome asked thoughtfully as she began to twirl a strand of her dark hair idly.

Sesshoumaru began to watch her actions attentively. It was rather depressing that his entertainment in life had become the small actions by this little woman. "I would say something like that." Sesshoumaru agreed coolly.

Kagome released her hair. "You and I were together centuries ago, you were a demon lord and I was a miko. That's what you told me earlier right?" Kagome asked. Sesshoumaru nodded reluctantly.

"So centuries ago, we were together and then two centuries ago, in this parish I lived again. Only you weren't here. Kouga, the young man with the pale blue eyes from my dreams was here. And Kagewaki, whom you say is Naraku was here. I was the governor's daughter. And your ex-girlfriend from this life cursed Naraku and I?" Kagome's disbelief was understandable as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"In essence, that is what both you and I believe," Sesshoumaru replied.

Kagome's head fell back against the window frame, the hard knock against the wood caused Sesshoumaru to flinch. "It's a good thing you are hard headed," Sesshoumaru muttered.

Kagome cracked an eye open to glare at him. "Hey, I don't need some ghost making fun of me."

"At least you'll admit that I'm not part of your imagination anymore." Sesshoumaru allowed his own head to fall back against the wall again, slightly un-eased when he felt his head slip past the physical barrier of the wooden frame. It was too much to hope that he would remain tangible during his entire visit.

"Tell you what, as soon as you get off your comatose lazy butt, I'll let you tease me all you want." Kagome offered.

"I'll hold you to that," Sesshoumaru told her with a wry smile. "Shall I help you with your studies?"

Kagome frowned as she came to a sudden realization. "Kikyo didn't come until late this afternoon."

"What do you mean?" Sesshoumaru sat up straight.

"I mean, I didn't have my lessons today at the normal time. Kikyo didn't show up until late this afternoon after we returned from Kaede's. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now I wonder about that." Kagome mused aloud.

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "So do you have anything to study?"

Kagome grinned. "Actually, no, but you can help me pick out places to check out this weekend!"

"Explain."

"We're going to the French Quarters this weekend. Naraku and I along with Kikyo and Suikotsu are going to check out down town New Orleans." Kagome explained.

"You want me to help you plan for a double date?" Sesshoumaru clarified through clenched teeth, a growl to his voice.

Kagome smiled at him teasingly. "Jealous?"

**TBC**


	11. CG XI

**CG XI:**

Time flew by and the weekend arrived shortly. It was early when Dr. Suikotsu and his wife Kikyo arrived at the plantation to meet Naraku and Kagome for a day on the town. The French Quarters of New Orleans was simply begging to be explored by the quartet.

Kagome was only a little disturbed about the absence of her ever-present companion, Sesshoumaru. He had promised to accompany here on the trip to New Orleans. It had taken some heavy persuasion on her part, but she had convinced him that the experience would be exciting.

Suikotus and Kikyo sat in the front seats of the good doctor's SUV while Naraku and Kagome sat in the rear. Naraku directed the neurologist where to drive and did a fine job of navigating on the cobble stone roads.

"Why aren't these roads paved?" Kagome ventured curiously as they encountered a particularly rough batch of stones.

Naraku turned to face her and grinned while drapping a casual arm across her shoulders. "Well you see Kagome, while New Orleans is a very densely populated city, it is also one of the oldest and these roads date back to when the city was first founded even. They have lasted hundreds of years where as paved roads would crack and get pot holes too often to be of use."

"That doesn't make sense," Kagome argued as she gently lifted Naraku's arm off from her shoulder and eased it back to his side. "Paved roads endure very well. That's why highways are concrete and not stone."

Naraku chuckled softly and met eyes with Kikyo who was looking back at her two pupils from her front passenger seat. "Shall I answer this or would you like the honor professor?" Naraku asked.

Kikyo looked at him silently before nodding her head that she would explain. "With the environment here being below sea level and the humidity so high, the pavement would crack and expand too often. Cobble stones date back to the Roman Empire and they still stand today. So these sorts of roads are the most durable in this sort of environment."

"She's right you know," a much missed voice whispered in Kagome's ear. She turned in her seat and grinned when she noticed Sesshoumaru sitting in the back of the SUV with his hands on either side of her, resting upon the back of the seat. His golden eyes met her sapphire before she turned back around and faced her flesh and blood companions.

Suikotsu paralleled park then on a street a few blocks away from the famous Bourbon Street in front of a Mardi Gras paraphernalia store. The front window was decked out with costumes of all sorts and feather masks and boas. Both Kagome and Kikyo had large grins at the sight while all the men happened to roll their eyes.

"I take it you would like to go in there?" Naraku asked Kagome. She turned to him and nodded excitedly while he led her inside. She walked quickly away from him and began to try on the feather masks. An amused Sesshoumaru stood beside her and enjoyed watching her sport the various costume pieces.

Currently she was wearing a blue and green butterfly shaped feather mask with gold sequence around the eye holes. "Perhaps this would go with it as well," Sesshoumaru suggested as he gestured to a blue, green, and gold feather boa.

Kagome grinned beneath her feathered mask and put the boa around her shoulders. She squealed in delight when she caught her reflection. Naraku chuckled from behind her and she whirled to face him as his cinnamon eyes twinkled in mirth. "You certainly look ready to march in a parade baby doll."

Kagome blushed under her mask at his endearment. She still wasn't sure why he kept calling her that, but it stirred sweet feelings for him. Beside her Sesshoumaru began to growl under his breath, but Kagome seemed to not notice as she began to play with the feather tips of her boa and allowed it to tickle against her cheeks.

"Come on, I'll pay for that. You can wear it on our little adventure," Naraku took her hand and began to lead her to the checkout.

"No, I'll look ridiculous," Kagome protested dragging her feet. Naraku shook his head as he grabbed a golden lion mask for himself and lead her to the cash register anyway. "Really Naraku, I don't want to look like a fool."

Naraku ignored her and paid the cashier before putting his hand on the small of Kagome's back to lead her out of the store. "Honestly Kagome, this is New Orleans, you will hardly stick out." He smiled at her. "You are expected to behave out of the norm here."

"You won't be the only one looking like a fool," Sesshoumaru informed her standing on her other side. He pointed out Kikyo and Suikotsu and shook his head. "I'm not sure how I feel about the man who has my life in his hands walking around with a rooster mask on." He muttered as he eyed the red and white rooster mask the good doctor wore and the peacock mask donned by his wife.

"So where shall we go to next?" Suikotsu asked. His dark eyes scanned the street at large, but there seemed so many places he was unsure of where to begin.

"A few streets South of here always have art displayed in the alley. Let us check that out," Naraku offered as he led the group in that direction. Kagome had eased a few inches away from him so that his hand was no longer upon her back and looked at all the old buildings for herself. They were quite beautiful really.

"You know, I bet that most of these places are supposed to be haunted," Sesshoumaru mused beside her.

"Can you see any ghosts?" Kagome asked, not even realizing that she was speaking to someone no one else could see.

Sesshoumaru quirked a brow. "Just because I don't have a physical body at the moment to walk around the streets with you doesn't mean I am a ghost," he informed her a bit offended by the question.

Naraku laughed at the question and put his hand back around Kagome's waist and began to play with her feather boa. "That's a good question baby doll." He told her with a wry smile. "Half these places on this particular street are said to be haunted."

He pointed to a large red painted building that was about four stories high but took up the length of the entire block. "That my dear, is the location of an all boys school that burned to the ground nearly two centuries ago. It was restored to a large fancy hotel, but it is said that it is haunted by the spirits of those children."

Kagome actually shivered.

"That's true," Kikyo confirmed, joining the conversation. She pointed to another building on the next street up. "That yellow building, the ghost of a young woman haunts there. She was newly wed and her husband wanted her to prove her love to him. He didn't believe that she was truly devoted."

"How are you supposed to prove your love?" Kagome asked. "Isn't that one of those things you just know?"

Kikyo looked at her sadly. "You would think that, wouldn't you? But the story is that it was a cold night and he told his wife that if she loved him, she would sleep on the roof through out the night with no clothes."

Kagome and Sesshoumaru exchanged stricken looks before glancing towards the haunted building. "How is that supposed to prove your love?"

Kikyo shrugged. "Well she did as he asked, I don't believe he actually thought she would do it. He was drunk at the time in the middle of playing poker games with several of his friends. He probably wasn't serious. However, the next morning they found her body on the roof without a stick of clothing on."

She exchanged sad looks with her husband. They had researched some of the more famous hauntings the night before and he continued the sad story for her. "She died of exposure. She froze to death. The husband was so devastated that he committed suicide that night. It is said that their ghosts haunt their old home now." Suikotsu explained.

"I guess they know how they feel about each other now," Kagome muttered annoyed at the two fools that so carelessly threw away their lives.

Kagome stopped in stock still and the others stopped around her. "What is it?" Sesshoumaru asked as he followed her line of vision.

"Pirates Alley," Kagome muttered recognizing the alleyway, but unsure of how she knew the identity of it since she had never been to New Orleans before, unless her and Sesshoumaru's suspicions on past lives were correct.

"Ah, yes, Pirates Alley, let's go there. They have a great deal of art down there and the church is magnificent." Naraku took hold of Kagome's wrist and guided the group in that direction.

Kagome followed absently, but it was not the present she was seeing but visions of another time clouded her mind's eye. "Why is it called Pirate's Alley?" She asked as she tried to ignore the overwhelming emotions rising.

"Ah, Jean LaFitte loved to walk down this alley and tease the Governor," Naraku explained. Kagome turned to him with wide eyes but he didn't seem to notice. "The Governor couldn't do anything to the infamous pirate while he was walking on Church grounds." He pointed to the massive cathedral on one side of the alleyway.

"The pirate enjoyed taunting the Governor, because even if the Governor did arrest him the pirate had so many connections that the hell that would ensue was too great of a risk," Naraku explained.

Kagome had tuned out her step brother and focused on the visions that were coming to her memory. She was looking out the window on the second floor of the Governor's home and talking idly with a beautiful pirate, most likely Jean LaFitte. Standing next to him was the young man from the creek. They were waving farewell to her.

She watched as the two men walked away from her down the alley and towards the shipping grounds where their ship most likely was located. There was mention of a short trip that the young man would be accompanying the notorious pirate upon.

LaFitte promised to bring him home to her and that they would leave the next day.

A tear fell from Kagome's eye as she seemed to recall that she would never see the blue eyed young man alive again.

More startling images came to mind. She heard a pounding on the door of the balcony outside her bedroom. She rushed to it, mindful that only the young man even knocked on her balcony door. However, it was not Kouga that was knocking but Jean LaFitte and his emerald eyes were apologetic as he explained the situation and helped her leave the Governor's mansion and enter the docks.

The fearless pirate was angry and cursing about betrayal. He vowed to find the guilty culprit and have him punished for the crime, but Kagome didn't understand until they arrived.

Laying on the ground with his head in the lap of a somber woman, LaFitte's mistress, was Kouga. The blood pooled around him and several of LaFitte's men stood in a circle around the young man all wearing the same expression.

Kagome had rushed to his side and LaFitte's mistress, Jasmine, moved aside for Kagome to take her place. She placed her hands upon Kagome's shoulders and hugged the young woman from behind in an attempt to comfort.

No comfort would be found. For Kagome's beloved Kouga had been murdered. Even the vengeance sworn by the great Jean LaFitte would never bring him back to her.

A sob escaped Kagome's throat and she felt her throat contract. She remembered. She remembered Kouga vividly and she recalled his death. "Are you okay? What did you see?" Sesshoumaru demanded, his eyes trying to follow the sightless vision she was staring at.

"Kagome are you okay?" Suikotsu asked concerned. He stood in front of her and waved his hands in front of her glazed over eyes. "Can you hear me?" He demanded, his medical skills kicking in.

Kagome blinked and cleared her throat. "I'm fine, I just was day dreaming I guess." She finished lamely.

Naraku frowned at her and his cinnamon gaze drifted to where had been staring off towards. He wasn't sure, but that seemed to be the direction where Kouga had been murdered nearly two centuries before.

"Why don't we go on one of those tours?" Kikyo suggested, effectively breaking the tension.

"You will find an excuse to get away from these fools and speak to me privately," Sesshoumaru informed Kagome with no room to argue.

"Um, actually, I need a restroom," Kagome informed her companions with an apologetic smile.

"No problem, there's a public restroom near the place I plan to get our tour tickets from," Naraku assured her.

"I don't recommend public bathrooms here," Kikyo mentioned. "But, I have some disinfectant in my purse in case there isn't any soap, you just let me know if you need it," she offered Kagome.

oooooOOOOOooooo

The drive to the plantation was endless. After a pleasant drive to Louisiana with no troubles the trio discovered that the actual plantation Kagome lived at was nearly impossible to find.

"Are we there yet?" Inuyasha asked for the umpteenth time.

Sango glared at him from her position in the passenger seat while Miroku's hands gripped the steering wheel tighter, turning his knuckles white in frustration.

"If you ask again, I'm going to pull over and then leave you stranded in this god-forsaken swampland," Miroku warned as he gritted his teeth.

Inuyasha threw his hands in the air. "Shesh, it was a simple question."

"Well when we get there we'll be sure to announce it," Sango assured him. "At this rate, I doubt if we'll ever find it. Maybe we should ask for directions." She suggested with a pointed look at Miroku.

"I do not need directions. I know where I'm going." Mirkou informed her sharply.

"Does that mean we're close then?" Inuyasha persisted. It wasn't exactly the same question he had been asking, so surely that threat wouldn't hold up.

Miroku pulled over. Inuyasha tensed. Sango began to drum her fingers on the dashboard ready for a show.

Miroku cleared his throat. "I do not need directions because we are here," he pointed proudly through a thicket that led to a large white manner that could barely be seen in the distance.

"So, are you going to drive any closer then?" Inuyasha asked as he peered between the two front seats to the large plantation.

"Certainly, I just wanted the two of you to stop nagging," Miroku supplied as he began to drive towards his destination.

"I wasn't nagging," Inuyasha muttered as he crossed his arms.

Minutes later, Miroku parked beside the vehicle he recognized as belonging to Kagome's step father. The ensemble made it to the front porch when the door opened and an angry Onigumo stood glaring at them with a shot gun in his hands and an fearsome expression to boot.

Miroku smiled placatingly at the man, hoping to charm him like he did all other parents. "Good afternoon, Onigumo. I was hoping that we could visit Kagome."

Onigumo's dark eyes narrowed. "She's not here and you are trespassing."

Miroku frowned but quickly hid his expression behind a neutral mask. "When might she return?"

"It's none of your damn business." Onigumo cocked the shot gun and kept Miroku in the sights. "I suggest you leave now, I won't warn you again."

"Sorry to have disturbed you," Miroku gave a brief bow and grabbed hold of Inuyasha and Sango's elbows and pulled them alongside him, trying to keep either of them from doing something stupid.

They reached Miroku's vehicle and immediately began to converse. "Some reception," Inuyasha muttered.

"Kagome is obviously in danger," Sango decided.

"We can't leave until we find out exactly what is going on. It looked as if the step father was the only one even here. I saw no signs of Mrs. H, Souta, or even Naraku." Miroku told them as he began to pace. He felt a chill wind and was urged to look towards the forest.

Inuyasha followed his line of sight. "What?"

"I think we should check out the forest for some clues," Miroku replied as he was drawn towards a certain area of trees.

"Maybe we should go and find a hotel and come back later," Sango disagreed with a grim expression.

Miroku raised a brow. "Why Sango, I never thought you would be the one to suggest we hurry to a hotel," he questioned aghast.

Sango blushed furiously and whacked him upside the head. "That's not what I meant you pervert."

Miroku absently rubbed his sore head but continued to lead his friends deeper into the forest.

"Awesome!" Inuyasha shouted as he took off at a run towards a giant tree that was growing near a beautiful creek. He began to climb the tree and perched himself at an upper bough and swung his legs back and forth.

"That's bit juvenile," Sango retorted at his behavior.

"Whatever, I love big trees but we've been living in the city so long, I haven't seen a good climbing tree since I was a kid," Inuyasha exclaimed as he leaned against the tree trunk and relaxed.

"We can wait here," Miroku informed them feeling an odd sense of peace at this location. "We can hear the sound of vehicles coming to the plantation from here, so we should be good."

"What if Onigumo discovers us trespassing again?" Sango asked worriedly.

Miroku walked towards her and wrapped his arm across her shoulder, drawing her close. "Don't worry, I have a feeling that we'll be safe from that man here."

ooooOOOOoooo

"What did you see?" Sesshoumaru demanded the moment that the bathroom door was shut and locked.

Kagome looked up at him, tears in her eyes that refused to fall. More than ever, Sesshoumaru wished that he was in his body so that he could hold her.

"I think you were right when we were talking about past lives before." She began as she worried her bottom lip.

Sesshoumaru's attention was riveted to that bottom lip. He really wished he had his body right now. He could think of a million better things for her lips to be doing that being chewed on in her nervousness. He forced himself to pay attention. "Do explain."

"I saw myself living in the Governor's mansion; which would make sense if I was his daughter. I also saw Kouga and Jean Lafitte. Kouga was murdered."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "I thought that he was murdered."

"Do you think you and I are supposed to figure out who killed him?" She asked as her hand involuntarily reached out to touch his face. Her fingers were inches from his alabaster cheek before she realized that he wasn't really there and her hand dropped to her side.

Sesshoumaru was watching her hand. He closed his eyes briefly so she wouldn't see the disappointment. When he opened them again, they were molten gold with passion and possession. "I don't want Naraku touching you."

Kagome's hands fell to her hips. "What is that supposed to mean? You don't own me."

He took the step required to stand before her and bent so that they were nose to nose. "But I do. And damn it, I'm going to wake up and I'm going to take you far away from that damnable plantation!" His hands fell to her shoulders and passed right through. He took a step back and took a deep breath.

"And when I come, I'll finally be able to touch you."

Kagome smiled. "That certainly would be nice," she agreed. "I better go, Kikyo will think some alligator crawled out of the toilet and ate me."

Sesshoumaru blocked her path to the door. She could have walked through him, they both knew that, but she paused anyway. The expression in his eyes told her it was serious. "I don't trust him and I don't want him touching you."

"Then you best wake up," Kagome told him and she walked through him and left the restroom. Sesshoumaru followed her silently for the rest of the time in the French Quarters. He wouldn't admit it, but he felt a little better since Kagome kept just enough distance away from Naraku to not be obvious that she was avoiding him.

**TBC**


	12. CG XII

**CG XII**

Kouga was pacing back and forth, unhappy that a certain dark haired teenager had dared to claim his tree. His pale, icy blue eyes narrowed as he frowned at the young man once more. He took deep breaths and calmed himself.

It was important that he keep his cool and concentrate on keeping the presence of Kagome's school friends unnoticed by the likes of Onigumo. He watched Miroku and Sango sitting comfortably in one another's arms with longing.

That's what Kouga had always wanted with his Kagome nearly two centuries prior. That's what he had with his Kagome two centuries ago. He could feel the steel vice of a hand clinching his heart at the painful reminder that he was robbed of a life of bliss with his lady love.

However, how could his heart ache any more? He wasn't alive to feel, right? So why was it that still hurt so damned much? Wearily, Kouga allowed himself to sit with a heavy thud at the base of his tree as he allowed the misery of his loss to overwhelm him once more.

From his high perch in the large tree over looking the creek, Inuyasha glanced down at the base of the tree's trunk. He had an odd feeling that someone was there, but when he searched the area, he could see nothing. Inuyasha scratched the back of his neck briefly before returning his gaze towards the direction of the driveway to await Kagome's return.

"So exactly what is the master plan for when Kagome actually returns home?" Sango inquired, poking her boyfriend sharply in the ribs when his hands began to wander without permission.

Miroku smirked, but put his hand back around Sango's shoulder where it was safe from damage. He had no intentions of losing any limbs no matter how brief the pleasure of his searching hands might find.

"Yeah, what exactly is this brilliant plan?" Inuyasha added from his height advantage of thirty feet in the air. He looked as relaxed as a jungle panther up in the boughs of the great oak.

"Well, we sneak into the house and find Kagome when she's alone. We offer her a ride back home with us so she can leave this throw back from the cotton gin behind her." Miroku replied smugly.

He glanced over at Sango but she was staring at him incredulously with wide brown eyes. "What?" Miroku demanded annoyed by her expression.

"That's your brilliant plan?" She snapped in shock.

Violet eyes blinked in confusion. "What's wrong with that plan?"

No one answered his question. However, Kouga groaned aloud, unheard by his human companions at the reply. Kagome was going to need more help than he originally thought if things kept at this rate.

oooooOOOOOooooo

Kagome would be eternally grateful to the medicinal skills of the old lady Kaede. It was amazing really that her leg didn't collapse from the stress of all the walking she'd been forced to endure. Granted, going to the French Quarters was her idea, but she honestly had no idea what she was getting herself into.

"Well?" Naraku asked expectantly as he sat beside Kagome inside the world famous Café Du Monde, a hotspot in New Orleans. She still eying the delicacy in front of her with a wary eye. He frowned, "It's not going to hurt you or anything." He was started to become annoyed with her hesitancy.

"If you don't want it, I'll be happy to relieve you of it," Kikyo suggested sitting across from the young adults with her husband. Everyone else had finished their snack and were still waiting for Kagome to either eat hers or give to them.

"No I want it," Kagome assured them as she finally allowed herself to sample the famous beignets that everyone in her group had been ranting about all afternoon. The taste was pleasant but she really didn't understand the obsession the rest of her companions felt for the food.

"What do you think?" Suikotsu inquired as Kagome took a sip of her water after sampling the beignets. Secretly he hoped she hated the food so that he would have an excuse to eat it for her.

No such luck as Kagome smiled sweetly across the table. "It was delicious," she confessed as she returned to her plate and finished off her beignet. There was noticeable disappointment around the table at the lost chance to eat another beignet.

"This is really rather pathetic." Sesshoumaru remarked, standing beside Kagome at her end of the table watching her eat. "They obviously desired that you not enjoy the food so that they would have an excuse to consume it."

Kagome glared at him briefly, careful not to draw any extra attention to the action since her eating companions were watching her beignet intently. She put the rest of her beignet aside, unruffled by the superior look Sesshoumaru was giving her.

"I'm not so hungry, you guys can have the rest," Kagome offered. Moments later, three hands had attacked the remains of her snack and consumed it. Sesshoumaru shook his head and allowed a small smile to lift the corners of his lips. Kagome looked at him curiously.

"I told you they wanted your food," Sesshoumaru shrugged. He seemed oddly distracted since their conversation in the restroom earlier. He only half-heartedly tagged along beside Kagome during the tours of the city. He would ask occasional historic questions that she would pass along to the guide. Other than that, this little event with the beignet was really the only time he had actually talked to her.

Naraku wrapped his arm gently around Kagome's shoulder and gave her a quick squeeze of a hug. "You okay?" He asked with concern evident in his cinnamon eyes as he searched her melancholy face.

Kagome mustered a smile for him. "Yeah, I guess I'm just tired," she confessed somewhat truthful.

"We should take you two back. I have to be at the hospital tomorrow pretty early to check up on your friend," Suikotsu commented as he looked at his expensive watch that he had purchased in Switzerland the previous month when he was enjoying a weekend of skiing.

Naraku quietly searched Kagome's face, seeking clues to her lack luster behavior. She was so excited earlier in the day. Perhaps she really was simply exhausted. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea," he agreed as he turned his attention back to the older couple across the table from him.

oooooOOOOOooooo

It wasn't long after the good doctor and his wife left that Kagome had ventured outside as if driven by some unseen force to the creek. Sesshoumaru moved alongside her, but neither exchanged any words with one another. Naraku had gone into the house without a backwards glance at his step sister. That was rather odd.

Kouga had taken up his pacing once more and watched with love radiating from every pore of his body as Kagome stepped into view. He and Sesshoumaru exchanged raised brows but neither acknowledged the other's presence.

"Kagome!" Sango ran out of the foliage and tackled her best friend in a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!" She exclaimed as she held the younger girl out at arm's length to examine her.

"How come you aren't on crutches?" Miroku asked, coming up behind Sango and drapping his arm casually around Kagome's waist. He smiled teasingly at her.

"A Voodoo medicine woman fixed it," Kagome replied calmly taking her dear friend's arm off of her body. Sesshoumaru's possessive growls in her ear weren't helping her remain calm.

"Ah, a witch healed you!" Miroku replied with a grin as he placed his hands into his jeans pockets and lost the playful light behind his eyes. "Kagome why haven't you contacted us?" He asked quietly.

Inuyasha climbed out of the tree and joined the old friends. Kagome offered him a brief smile before answering while she shifted her feet. "I was busy," she replied offhandedly.

"Busy? Yeah right, were you out picking cotton?" Inuyasha demanded. He didn't really know Kagome very well, but he knew an evasive reply when he heard one.

"Look, my family wants to ensure that I can adjust to this sort of life. I can't very well cling to the past," she told them with an uncharacteristic icy waver to her voice.

Both Sesshoumaru and Kouga frowned at her choice or response. It felt like a personal attack to both of the men whom had loved her in former lives enough to die for her.

"We talked to Onigumo, Kagome. I don't trust him. Where's your mother?" Miroku demanded.

"And Souta?" Sango added, crossing her arms to intimidate her younger friend.

"Look, what happens with my family is really none of your concern." Kagome told them in a tone that left no room for argument.

"It is our concern. We're your friends," Sango replied softly, feeling hurt at the callous tone Kagome used.

"I think you should come back with us," Inuyasha offered, his violet eyes sought out her blue ones as he ran a nervous hand through his dark ebon locks.

"She should go with them," Kouga told Sesshoumaru.

"I think it would be in your best interests to leave with them," Sesshoumaru informed the girl he had been charged to watch over for the past couple of weeks. He agreed with Kouga whole-heartedly on this decision. If anything happened to Kagome, he simply would not be able to forgive himself.

"Fine," Kagome agreed looking tired and having no energy to argue with four persistent individuals. It would have been five if she could hear Kouga as well. "But I want to go to the hospital to see Sesshoumaru."

Everyone was surprised by the request, including Sesshoumaru. However, everyone did well to keep poker faces on and suppress their shock. "Alright," Miroku agreed with a peaceful grin. "We'll come and get you in the morning then. We'll just go to an inn for the night so you can have time to tell your family."

Kagome smiled at them, feeling a huge weight lifted off her chest that she wasn't even aware of carrying. "Alright," she smiled at them and went back towards the plantation house with Sesshoumaru trailing along behind her, he was in deep thought. She wanted to see him.

oooooOOOOOooooo

It was unfortunate that Onigumo had developed various tricks in his years of existence in his altered state. His mind locked with that of the raven that was resting upon his arm, sharing exactly what transpired near the creek.

Onigumo despised that creek, but knew that his son would hate him even more than he already did if he were to destroy it like he would like. He laughed to himself at the irony of the situation. He had learned the trick of speaking and manipulating creatures of the forest from the very same witch that had cursed his family.

But of course, he learned that right before he killed her with his own two hands. Soon he would rid himself of his hated existence so that life could break out of the standstill that it had been caught in thanks to a woman's scorn.

It wasn't long before Kagome had re-entered the house and joined in the evening meal. She would no doubt be curious about his docile treatment of her at the dinner table, but that was irrelevant.

Soon after Onigumo sent Naraku off to perform some meaningless task and leave Kagome's side, the drugs he had added to her meal took affect. The young woman was unconscious.

Onigumo pulled her limp body into his arms and traveled down the hidden tunnels into the bowels of the earth. Hundreds of years ago he once used the very room he was taking her to for educational purposes. If slaves misbehaved, he would have to educate them.

Sesshoumaru watched the proceedings in utter disbelief. He felt a strong pull towards his body back in the hospital, something was happening to his body. But he could not abandon Kagome to this madman! He shouted frantically for Kouga, but received no answer.

Sesshoumaru had been desperately fighting the pull to his body since the evening meal Kagome shared with her family. It was a battle he felt himself loosing, but he simply couldn't allow himself to abandon her now!

"Kagome!" Sesshoumaru pleaded trying to concentrate on shaking the girl's shoulders. "You must wake up!"

Groggy, sleep filled eyes opened lazily at him. "Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked dizzily. The room was spinning and everything was so dark.

"Ah, I see you are awake," Onigumo remarked stepping inside the cellar he had dropped her off in. Naraku was at his side, looking very ruffled and confused as his eyes landed upon Kagome shackled to the stone wall.

"What is the meaning of this father?" Naraku demanded angrily whirling on his father.

Onigumo smirked before flinging his son towards Kagome's chained body. "I give you three days to make her yours or else you will die side-by-side. I grow weary of this type of life," Onigumo explained in a chilling voice as he slammed shut the heavy door leading into the room and an audible lock was heard.

Kagome locked a fearful gaze with Naraku. "What is he talking about?" She demanded quietly struggling with her bonds as Sesshoumaru was starting to shimmer in and out, causing fear to rise in her veins.

Naraku surveyed the make-shift dungeon with a critical eye; avoiding the accusing stare he knew Kagome would be gifting him. He noticed the non-perishable food supply in one corner along with bottles of water. Eventually he looked back at Kagome with sadness evident in his cinnamon gaze.

"I had hoped it wouldn't come to this," he told her quietly as he sat beside her. He cringed when she shifted as far away from him as the chains would allow.

"Kagome, don't let him touch you!" Sesshoumaru shouted in anger as he tried to push Naraku away from his charge. "Damn it!" He cursed in frustration as he felt the pull becoming too intense to ignore. He looked at Kagome with golden eyes bitter with sorrow. "I can't do anything Kagome."

"Wake up," Kagome begged him right before he disappeared from her line of sight. All that remained now was Naraku, whom she foolishly had begun to trust.

Naraku closed his eyes tightly. "I am awake, I'm afraid this nightmare is real Kagome." He looked back at her, his heart in his eyes. "Do you remember the story I told you of the young man and woman that met in the garden?"

Kagome nodded, already knowing the answer.

"I'm Kagewaki and you were the governor's daughter."


	13. CG XIII

**CG XIII**

He was relieved that he would never have to drive down the twisted path leading to the plantation home that Kagome temporarily resided. It would be such a relief to bring her back with them and out of this messy situation.

"Do you actually have some non-perverted thoughts racing through that brain of yours?" Inuyasha inquired as he continued to flip through Miroku's collection of c.d.s in the front passenger seat. Sango was sleeping lightly in the back seat.

Inuyasha didn't even want to think about what reasons she should be so tired.

Miroku shot his passenger a brief, annoyed glare with hostile violet eyes. "It's nice to know how highly you think of me." He commented dryly as he returned his eyes to the windy drive.

Inuyasha shrugged and threw the music selection back on the floor at his feet as he stared out the window with a sense of foreboding creeping up his spine. "Do you think we'll run into any problems?"

"Probably, but I don't see why that Onigumo prick should care that we relieve him of Kagome. He probably only sees her as some sort of nuisance anyway. He did ship off Souta to some boarding school." Miroku commented. The large plantation mansion came into view. In spite of the bad vibes he felt here he couldn't help but admit the scene was picturesque and quick stunning.

"I thought it was some military school," Inuyasha frowned. He tried to remember a young boy from that night at the hospital but was drawing a blank. Plenty happened that night so he couldn't be expected to remember every little detail.

From the backseat, Sango stirred and leaned over the consol between the two front seats. She peered out the front window at the dark windows of the beautiful old home. "It's a little dark there don't you think?"

"I don't have a good feeling about this," Miroku remarked as he felt a pair of icy fingers clenching around his heart. He had a very bad feeling about this situation.

Inuyasha leaned forward in his seat as he squinted his eyes at the windows of the house. "Were there always bars on the windows?"

Miroku had a very bad feeling indeed. "No, there weren't."

**oooooOOOOOoooooOOOOOooooo******

Naraku kneeled in front of Kagome and placed his hands on her shoulders, to force her to meet his soulful cinnamon colored eyes with her pale bluish-grey ones. If anything, there was genuine pain and regret and not an ounce of malice in his expression.

"My beautiful Kagome," he began in a pained whisper, choked with emotion. "I never wanted to hurt you. If my fate was to live forever in my misery then I would do so willingly. To have had you for a short time was worth this eternal hell."

Kagome finally found her ability to speak. "What are you talking about?" She demanded as she tried to shrug off his powerful hands from her shoulders. She refused to be taken in to pity the look in his eyes of absolute sorrow.

A bone weary sigh escaped his lips as he continued to look deeply into her eyes. "I want you with all that I am. I had hoped that you could love me once again. I never wanted to take you, but where I care not for my own life, father would not think twice of killing you."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips gently to hers. It was a gentle brush of flesh upon flesh and he pulled back with his bottom lip bloodied from where she had bitten him. He took the pain in stride, for he felt he deserved it.

"I don't know what the hell you are talking about," Kagome's voice was venomous as she glared towards the man before her with such an intensity that could melt stone.

Kouga grinned as he watched the scene silently from across the room. He loathed the man before him. His friend that had betrayed him deserved a fate worse than death.

Naraku sucked on his bottom lip, stemming the blood flow before he answered in a calm, cool, collected tone. "We were cursed by the granddaughter of the Voodoo queen." He sat back away from her on his haunches and reflected on the bitter memories.

"It was always the three of us, you, me, and Kouga. We would spend hours together." He smiled at her as he recalled the precious, fond memories that seemed so long ago. "I wanted you at first, but then I saw how happy you and Kouga were. I could find no fault in him and came to befriend him."

Kagome raised a brow skeptically at that comment.

Naraku laughed softly and moved to sit beside her against the wall. The cool stones were bringing down the temperature of his burning hot back. He pulled off the sweatshirt he wore, for the heat of the cellar or possibly the situation was beginning to bother him.

The rippling muscles of his torso did not go unnoticed by Kagome, so she chewed on the inside of her cheek to not think about such things. She wouldn't deny that she was attracted to him, but she didn't trust him. And for some reason the idea of giving in to the man beside her made her feel as if she would be betraying Sesshoumaru, which was a ridiculous notion.

"You and Kouga always talked about sailing off into the sunset. The excitement that you shared was contagious. Before I knew it, my life of being a political pawn for my father had evolved. I was now a friend with two adventurous spirits." He closed his eyes as he remembered the good times.

"I was going to help the two of you elope. I was helping Kouga finance a ship and a crew to sail around the world. We were going to leave New Orleans and explore the unknown." Naraku's eyes opened.

Kouga laughed aloud at the words spilling from the other man's mouth. "Right, as if you didn't have ulterior motives. You'd probably see to it that I drowned at sea," Kouga scoffed bitterly.

Naraku continued, unaware of Kouga's attentive ear, "But, maybe a week before everything was to be set in motion Kouga was murdered."

"Did you do it?" Kagome asked. She was annoyed that she was believing this tale. It was most likely skewed from the veracity. Naraku would lie to her now to gain her sympathy so that she would go to him willingly. She would not submit to duplicity.

An indignant snort was Naraku's answer. "Of course not, Kouga was my best friend. I cared for both of you. However, I don't doubt that it was my fault. I've grown suspicious over the years. I think it was my father."

"I see," Kagome replied, unsure of how to react to the tragedy of a past life that she only remembered in vague dreams as of late.

"We were both devastated with his loss. I believe it was a gradual inevitability that we would seek comfort and one another and it would evolve into love." A bitter sweet smile danced lazily across his lips. "We managed to rediscover happiness in a time of despair. It was a beautiful miracle if ever there was one."

The ghost of a smile vanished as he continued the story. "I had just asked you to be my wife. We were going to move west into the mountainous region of Montana and live with the Indians. It was a way to honor Kouga and get away from the sadness that haunted our home." He fell silent.

Kouga was stunned at the confession. He felt the familiar twinges of guilt plaguing his heart. How could he have doubted such loyalty? The unfairness of it all came crashing once more and it was all he could do to keep the tears at bay that were stinging the back of his eyes.

Kagome was moved beyond words. She could feel the emotions that he was surely feeling. It was as if she was reliving the turmoil. She had vivid flashes of what he was sharing and discovered that she believed him. She reached out to him and laid her hand gently upon his shoulder.

The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Kouga, but it didn't bother him now that he felt he knew the truth. He could feel the pain that the two must have shared at the loss of him. Sitting before him were the two individuals that cared about him more than all others during his life.

Naraku turned to her and took her hand in his as he placed it over his rapidly beating heart. He looked her directly in the eye to finish the tale. "The Voodoo queen, her granddaughter was a slave on this plantation. Apparently she had fallen in love with me from afar. I think I only met her once in the fields. She had fallen ill and so when another slave found me I had picked her up in my arms and carried her into the slave quarters where she could be cared for."

"Who would have thought a moment of kindness would result in an eternal curse?" Naraku mused as he threaded his fingers with Kagome's as her palm was cool against the burning heat of his chest. His heart continued to pound in his rib cage as he tried to contain the fury within.

"Please continue," Kagome pleaded softly. She had to know. She needed to know.

"Kagura watched us. She watched all three of us at the creek near Kouga's tree. I think she told my father of my plans to help the two of you elope and run away. I think my father killed Kouga to push the two of us together in romance discovered through mutual grief." Naraku replied, his brows furrowed as the memories came back and the suspicions were voiced.

"It must have worked too well for Kagura. When she discovered that you and I had intended to wed she confronted me. If I wouldn't wed her then she would see to it that you died. Of course I didn't believe her."

"So she killed me?" Kagome asked, trying to pull her hand out of Naraku's grasp. The feel of his pounding heart was too great for her. She could feel her own blood boiling in outrage.

Naraku only held her hand tighter to him. "The wrath of a woman scorned was what happened. She killed you, yes. I held you in my arms as she drained the life out of you. As you lay dying she cursed me as well. She didn't believe what we had was love."

"What did she believe?" Kagome prodded as Naraku became lose in his thoughts again.

He released her hand and sighed shakily. "She thought it was because she was a slave that I didn't love her. She thought that you were using me as a substitute for Kouga and that I only wanted the political power of your father being governor."

"But she was wrong," Kagome concluded as she took Naraku's fallen hand and held it in her own in a supportive embrace with locked fingers.

"She was wrong," Naraku agreed. "She cursed me to live forever without you. I would never age and if I truly loved you then I would never love another again." He smiled sadly and looked into her eyes with darkened ruby eyes. "With how I've been acting, you can probably figure out how I felt."

"But I don't understand. If she didn't want you to have the chance to love me again, how is this possible? What is going on now?" Kagome demanded making a gesture towards the two of them with their held hands.

A smug smile flirted across Naraku's lips. "That is where I outsmarted the witch. And the witch doctor Kaede came in. My father had been consulting the wise woman about something and they happened to come by. I'm not sure if I should be grateful or not for that twist of fate."

"Onigumo over heard her curse and saw me holding your dead body. The witch doctor Kaede had pulled you out of my arms and was dismayed to discover you dead. Which she was distracted, father had killed Kagura with a knife through her heart. I'll never forget the mad gleam in his eye."

"He killed her? But, isn't he cursed too?"

"Dying curse got him. He would share my eternal hell and neither of us would find peace unless I was to find love again. Kagura had thought that she would be reincarnated and could be the one I would love." He frowned. "At least, that is what Kaede had explained. But then she had placed her hands over both of our foreheads. She did a chant and promised that you and I would have a chance to break my curse."

"And your curse can only be broken if you and I make love?" Kagome asked, her fingers released his and she moved her hand to the safety of her lap.

Naraku shrugged. "That's what father believes. That's why when he saw you he knew he had to find a way to bring you to me. I'm afraid he doesn't love your mother, and for that I am sorry."

Kagome didn't reply.

Naraku lifted his hand to cup her chin and turn her to face him directly. "I'm so tired Kagome. I'm so very tired of all of this." He leaned in to kiss her and she didn't have the heart to refuse.

She couldn't kiss him back, but she couldn't hate him anymore. She knew he spoke truth. At one time she did love him. And she could love him again, except haunting golden eyes kept coming to mind and she pulled back, gasping for breath. She shook her head.

"I can't do this," Kagome turned away from him and wrapped her arms tightly across her chest.

Naraku sighed. "He gave us some time. I'll give you as much as I can." He brushed his long, tapered fingers through her loosened black waves of hair that curled down her back. "My love for you has never died, but," he swallowed hard, "I can't keep living like this. Father will kill us both. I'm not sure how since I'm supposed to be immortal. It's not like I haven't tried to kill myself."

Kagome turned panic stricken eyes towards him. "What?"

The concern in her voice caused him to smile in spite of himself. "The grief was intense at first. Not only had I lost my best friend, but then months later the love of my life died in my arms. I was entitled to some self-pity."

"So you're stuck in this state of limbo?"

"Until you love me."

Kouga felt an animalistic rage towards the hated man that sired Kagewaki Naraku. He wanted to wrap his hands around his throat and throttle him. That man was responsible for all their pain. Onigumo would suffer. Kouga would not allow him to hurt those he cared about any longer. There had to be another way for Kagewaki to discover peace, for Kagome did not belong to either of them.

For she was the mate of a demon lord who gave up his very heritage ensure his future with a young miko so long ago.

**oooooOOOOOoooooOOOOOooooo******

Complete frustration is what haunted Sesshoumaru as he felt his soul being forced back towards his catatonic body in the hospital. Kagome needed him now more than ever. He wouldn't, couldn't abandon her now! He must find a way to protect her. He was her guardian!

Upon reaching the white walls of his hospital room he was dismayed at the sight of his body laying helpless on the stark white sheets. It wasn't necessarily the sight of his body that disturbed him so much.

It was the sight of his ex-girlfriend leaning over his defenseless body and pulling out the catheter that was placed into comatose individuals. His eyes grew wide as he saw her begin to fondle his person.

Never had he allowed her to touch him in all their years together! What gave her the right to rape him more or less now? Anger caused his blood to boil as he tried to push her off of him.

Her lips were on his tip now and she was about to take him into her mouth. With a great deal of concentration, Sesshoumaru forced himself into his body.

"Looks like you're mine now," Kagura replied with a smug expression before she was to take him into her mouth. She glanced at his blank face triumphantly before she would have her way with him. She had invested too many years on him to be denied this simple pleasure.

Golden eyes met her stunned dark ones. Arms that hadn't been lifted freely in weeks, only moved by the physical therapist that worked his muscles to prevent their atrophy reached for her.

"Get the hell off of me you bitch," Sesshoumaru growled in a voice that was hoarse from disuse. He flung the woman off of him, onto the floor roughly. He pulled sheets to cover his waist as he glared down at her with hatred.

He reached for the call button beside his bed and rung for the nurse. Before Kagura could process that he was awake and looming over her with utter hatred the door to his room swung open. A nurse stood in the doorway.

"What the hell is this _thing_ doing in here?" Sesshoumaru demanded. He looked regal and authoritative and the nurse winced under his scrutiny.

"She said she was your fiancé, isn't she?" The nurse asked uncertainly as she made sure he couldn't read her name tag. She didn't want to be fired for being a little careless.

"No Caroline, she is not my fiancé," Sesshoumaru barked out at her in a voice that caused the nurse and Kagura to both cringe. "Call in the police and have her arrested for attempted sexual abuse on a comatose individual."

The nurse tried to save her dignity and lifted a phone from the wall near the door, and called the front desk for security. She looked back over at Sesshoumaru, it was a miracle that he had awakened, and with so much energy it was amazing! She looked back at the woman shivering on the floor in fear.

"You can't do this to me," Kagura told Sesshoumaru as she gained her courage and stood on her feet to stare down at him. "You are mine. You are going to marry me, damn it."

"As if I would consider marrying a woman that would take advantage of a defenseless man," he snapped. He yanked his sheet off the bed and wrapped it around his waist; he didn't trust just wearing a gown.

He reached into his closet and pulled his pair of pants on under the sheet and then stood silently to watch as the security guards drug Kagura out of his room.

Dr. Suikotsu burst through the door, face flushed from his run from the front lobby. He had a feeling something would happen that night. He was astonished when the nurse frantically called and had his beeper beeping with the 911 representing Sesshoumaru.

He stared in astonishment at the white haired young man who glared back at him as he shrugged into sweatshirt and flung wires and tubes off of himself. "Drive me to New Orleans, now." Sesshoumaru demanded without pre-amble.

Suikotsu blinked. "New Orleans?"

He moved towards his patient and felt his forehead and his pulse in his carotid artery in the neck. Sesshoumaru allowed him, but when he continued to prod Sesshoumaru grabbed his wrist in a bone wrenching grip.

"Take me to Kagome now, or I will hold you personally responsible for that woman in here that tried to assault my defenseless body."

Suikotsu didn't know what he was talking about with that comment but he was curious about the comment about Kagome. He had just returned from spending a day with the young lady, how odd that Sesshoumaru should make such a request.

"Alright, we can leave in the morning," Suikotsu consented.

"No, we leave now." Sesshoumaru began to stalk out of the room. He would ignore the dizziness he felt at walking. He had to protect Kagome. He had no time to waste being weak. He noticed a medical student opening a bottle of water just acquired from the vending machine.

Sesshoumaru took the bottle of water and continued down towards the elevator with Suikotsu at his heels and casting the medical student an apologetic glance.

"Faster," Sesshoumaru demanded. The elevator doors shut behind him and he pushed the button for the roof.

"My car is on the ground level," Suikotsu pointed out.

"We're flying." Sesshoumaru replied simply, annoyed to be disturbed from his racing thoughts.

"I don't exactly have a personal plane up there."

"You will fly the helicopter that my father supplied the hospital four months ago."

"That's for emergencies."

Sesshoumaru fisted his hands on either side of Dr. Suikotsu's white coat and dragged him to stand nose-to-nose. "This is an emergency."


	14. CG XIV

**CG XIV**

The pilot of the life flight helicopter was quite bewildered when the oddly determined young man with waist length white hair forcefully yanked open his door and pulled him out of his pilot's seat.

Dr. Suikotsu stood transfixed as he stared at the pilot sprawled on the ground and then looked up to meet the impatient golden stare of his previously comatose patient. He cleared his throat loudly, hoping to ease the obvious tension he felt straining his weary muscles. "Do you think that perhaps we should at least allow the licensed pilot to fly us?"

Sesshoumaru's glare would have cut through a lesser man like a hot knife through butter. "Surely you are not suggesting that this Sesshoumaru is incapable of flying?" He started up the controls and sent the blades of the helicopter spinning.

"Are you licensed?" Dr. Suikotsu dared to ask as he opened the door to sit in the passenger seat, making sure to secure his safety belt.

The impatient, white haired man spared him a rueful glance. "Of course I am licensed. I'm not some fool who would throw a man out of a helicopter if he didn't know how to fly." The spinning whirl of metal blades slicing through air accentuated his declaration.

"I realize that, but you did just awaken from a coma," Dr. Suikotsu calmly pointed out. Internally he was going over all the few hours of flight simulation training he had endured on the whim of his younger brother five years prior. He remembered enough that he was knew that if push came to shove and he was forced to engineer the craft they would both die in a cloud of flames.

Several tense moments passed in silence between the two men. Sesshoumaru shook his head, trying to clear the dizziness. Perhaps he should have made sure he was fully hydrated before undertaking his mad rush to New Orleans. However, he felt it imperative to leave as soon as possible. A little thing like physical weakness was not going to slow him down.

"Are you feeling any dizziness?" Suikotsu asked in the perfect, non-judgmental professional doctor voice of his. His professional tone only served to embitter Sesshoumaru.

"I'm fine," he snapped. He almost believed himself. However, he didn't offer a complaint when the good doctor handed him some sort of juice beverage that he happened to have within his black pack that he had not the time to remove before rushing into Sesshoumaru's room.

**OOOOOoooooOOOOOoooooOOOOO******

"I don't get it," Inuyasha declared in a frustrated groan as he tried to forcefully pry apart the bars in front of the windows. "These weren't here before. Where is everyone?"

Miroku shook his head in silent defeat. "I simply don't know what it is we're supposed to be doing."

"Well we certainly can't just give up," Sango brushed the dirt from her palms onto her pants leg. "Kagome's in there and she needs our help."

"That much we know. The key is getting to her," Inuyasha pointed out, as if trying to explain a basic concept to an especially dim-witted youth. Sango glared at him unappreciatively.

"Now children, let's not fight." Miroku tried to placate the two. He lost his train of thought however, when the sound of a helicopter broke the tranquility of the natural forest surrounding the plantation.

"A helicopter?" Inuyasha asked as the red and white chopper came into view. He squinted at the sight that made him even more confused. "Is that my brother?"

The helicopter landed and out staggered Sesshoumaru. Dr. Suikotsu quickly rushed after him to steady his balance and guide him to the trio of teenagers. "What are you doing here?" Miroku asked, trying to re-master the art of language.

"I'm here to save Kagome," Sesshoumaru ground out, his strength failing him much to his bitter disappointment. He had managed to fly the helicopter rather successfully considering he just awoke from a catatonic condition. However, the adrenalin that had previously been inspiring him was waning now.

The front door opened, and all in attendance turned in curiosity to see Onigumo standing before them with his arms crossed over his chest and an arrogant sneer plastered on his face. "None of you are welcome here, your business is elsewhere," he assured them with a voice that was oddly hypnotic.

Where as the others standing were in a trancelike state, eyes glazed and focused on the middle aged man, Sesshoumaru found a rage burning deep within. He made the first step towards the villain, breaking the unseen bondage that held the others rooted to the green grass.

"My business is here," Sesshoumaru answered coldly as he used his reserve strength to rush the man and try to dislodge his hold over his friends.

Onigumo easily side stepped the uncharacteristically fumbled attack. He raised an ebon brow at his opponent. "It's almost a shame to kill a man that just woke up from a coma."

He pulled the giant bowie knife that was tucked into the side of his pants and closed the distance between himself and the crumpled figure laying against the side of the porch. Golden eyes stared at him defiantly. "You will not defeat me," Sesshoumaru told him as he managed to pull himself to his feet, bracing his weight against the wall. He spared a glance towards his companions only to see them still incapacitated.

With a sudden, heart breaking, mind shattering comprehension, Sesshoumaru realized that in his weakened condition he would be no match for this supernatural being that stood posed above him with a deadly blade drawn.

**OOOOOoooooOOOOOoooooOOOOO******

The frustration that his pleadings were unheard and therefore unheeded tore at the remains of Kouga's soul. He tried to reason with Kagewaki-Naraku. However, the dark haired man whom once was his friend could not hear him.

Kagome lay pinned beneath Naraku. Her arms were crossed above her head, secured in Naraku's strong grip. His thighs were weighing down hers. Their bodily alignment was alluring to the impure intentions that were surely racing through his mind.

"It will soon be over my love," Naraku cooed softly as he kissed away the tears that were flowing freely from Kagome's eyes. However, she did not resist, though she loath his plans, she could not find the will to fight him. He was stronger but she sensed such a longing in his dark cinnamon eyes that she felt trapped.

'Was this how Christine felt when the Phantom of the Opera, Erik, revealed his need for her?' Kagome wondered to herself, as her heart broke in pity for the man that was beginning to make love to her body without her consent.

"I have loved you for so long my precious baby doll," Naraku told her as he paused to look her directly in the eyes. "Once you had promised yourself to me and we sought comfort in one another. Would you break that promise now that I hold you to it?"

Kouga was absolutely disgusted. He knew Kagome would give, and not that Naraku was such a horrible guy, but he knew, he KNEW that if Kagome broke the curse that Naraku suffered that it would also free Onigumo. He wasn't entirely sure what sort of chaos would ensue, but he could NOT allow it.

With one last attempt, Kouga tried to wrap his arms around Naraku and pull him away from Kagome, but as before, his arms swept through him like he was nothing but an apparition.

However, in that moment, he felt a remarkable pull to see Sesshoumaru. Something needed to be done outside. He looked at the scene before him that looked like a reunion between two old lovers, perhaps that was what it was in some sick sort of way. He looked closer though and saw that Kagome was looking away.

He knew that this was not something that could be allowed to happen. There was only one way he could think to stop the madness from continuing.

**OOOOOoooooOOOOOoooooOOOOO******

Sesshoumaru knew it was the end and from the looks on the faces of his companions they knew it too and yet were incapable of coming to his aid. He cursed his weakness and was all but resigned to his fate when he felt the jarring impact of two souls combining.

"I don't think so," he heard his voice speak as the knife was stopped with an inhuman strength by catching Onigumo's forearm. "You will not kill any more to further your selfish gains."

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes were no longer golden. An icy blue cast had begun to glow in their stead. Onigumo knew fear for the first time as he stared into those familiar eyes.

"This can not be," Onigumo argued with the ghost standing within the white haired man's body.

"You will not defeat me this time," Kouga growled as he threw Onigumo away from him with such a force that he fell against the porch with a heavy thud. Kouga stepped back his dazed body as the other four people returned to their conscious will.

White hair flew as he raced inside the large plantation home where he knew Kagome was with Naraku. 'What is going on?' Sesshoumaru mentally questioned in confusion.

"I'm borrowing your body for a few moments, I didn't think you'd mind since you were about to give up living. I'm not quite ready to share the world of the afterlife with you. It's bad enough that you get my girl," Kouga answered with Sesshoumaru's own lips aloud.

Sesshoumaru didn't protest as Kouga guided his body through the passages that would lead to the hidden chambers were Kagome was about to be taken by force. The sight rekindled Kouga's anger and grew anew in Sesshoumaru.

Together they bodily threw off Naraku. Caught of guard, Naraku flew into the stone walls with a heavy thud. Sesshoumaru pulled Kagome off the damp stone floor and held her securely to his chest. The love felt by both Sesshoumaru and Kouga was shown in the tender embrace.

Naraku stood to stare in shock as he witnessed his old friend Kouga holding Kagome to him tenderly. "Kouga?" He whispered in disbelief, but is unheard.

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes still showed bright with Kouga's icy orbs. He smiled teasingly at Kagome, the way he always did in her dreams of the creek. Without waiting for permission from the body he was borrowing he kissed her possessively and fully upon the lips.

Kagome melted in his embrace and responded in kind. Kouga pulled back and ran his fingers through her tangled hair before smiling sadly at her. He didn't speak another word as he stood up, leaving Sesshoumaru holding Kagome cradled to his chest. He turned his back on the couple and approached his old friend Kagewaki-Naraku.

Sesshoumaru continued to keep Kagome close to his heart as he placed a tender kiss to her temple. Her arms circled his neck as they watched the scene unfold silently.

Kouga held out a hand to Naraku and smiled at him as he pulled him away from the wall he was leaning heavily against. "My friend, it is time you join me. Your time of suffering because of your father and the voodoo priestess are at an end. It is time for you to move on."

Naraku looked over at Kagome, sadness and regret apparent in his remorseful eyes. Kouga followed his gaze and shared the longings that his old friend obviously felt at having another chance denied. Kouga placed his arm amiably around Naraku's shoulder, he looked like an angel and a bright light began to glow around both him and Naraku.

"She loved us both, be comforted by that. But the demon lord had her first, so she was never truly ours. We must be content to have been fortunate enough for her to bestow her love on two lowly men such as ourselves." Kouga replied with a tight lipped smile, trying to hide his own bitterness at that.

Naraku smiled serenely at Kagome, his face being truly beautiful at the moment of peace. The strain of his deceit no longer marring the perfection of his chiseled features. "I apologize for the troubles I have caused you baby doll," Naraku told her softly, his voice expressing the harmonious peace he already seems to show.

A tear slipped from Kagome's eye. She was sorry too.

Kouga gave Sesshoumaru a wink before turning his back on the two and walking with Naraku towards a light source that had begun to surround the far wall. "Sorry it took so long to meet back with you," Kouga admitted.

"Two centuries is a long time to wait. Shall we sail West at dawn then?" Naraku asked; the two suddenly seemed transformed into the friends of old. Their clothing altered into the Victorian dress of New Orleans at the turn of the nineteenth century.

"I apologize for the wait, I was a detained by some minor inconvenience," Kouga assured him.

"Ah yes, I imagine death could be quite an inconvenience," Naraku agreed.

Sesshoumaru and Kagome remained silent as they saw the two friends disappear before their very eyes, a ghostly vision with an angelic appeal.

Sesshoumaru was brought back to attention when a cool hand was placed lightly upon his cheek. He met a pair of beautiful blue eyes that looked deep like the ocean. He could spend the rest of his life trying to discover the secrets that lay hidden within those mysterious pools of blue.

"Is this real? Are you real?" Kagome asked, head spinning.

Sesshoumaru smiled, feeling better than he could ever remember feeling. He pulled Kagome to him and buried his face into her thick, dark hair. "I am very real," he assured as he pressed a kiss through her curtain of hair onto the side of her neck.

He moved to claim possession of her lips. The melding of their lips and tongue and teeth were evidence of how real they both were to one another. "Does that feel like a ghost to you?" Sesshoumaru asked quietly.

She didn't answer directly, only sighed in response before kissing him again. After a moment she pulled back. "Is it over then?" Kagome questioned as she ran her fingers through the rich silvery silk that cascaded down his powerfully muscled back.

About to answer with an automatic, 'Of course it is over,' Sesshoumaru paused. Onigumo was still there, outside, with the others.

**OOOOOoooooOOOOOoooooOOOOO******

It didn't take long for Sesshoumaru and Kagome to run up the tunnels onto the landing of the main floor. However, the sight before them was shocking.

Miroku, Inuyasha, Sango, Suikotsu, and the old woman Kaede stood before a pile of old clothes and bones. It was approximately the same location that Sesshoumaru had knocked Onigumo towards with his borrowed strength and rage from Kouga.

"What happened?" Sesshoumaru demanded, holding Kagome tightly to his side. It looked as if he would never let her loose from his grasp ever again.

Kaede smiled at him. Her single dark eye was glowing ominously as she indicated towards the pile of bones and clothes. "It would seem the curse was broken, but not in the way Onigumo would have liked."

"How was it broken? What exactly was the curse?" Kagome demanded. She was very confused how everything tied in with one another. All she really could understand was that in her past life she had been in love with both Kouga and Naraku. She also understood that in a life before that she was in love with Sesshoumaru as well.

"That foolish girl she didn't really know what she was doing to place such a curse. She killed you," Kaede gestured towards Kagome. "She cursed Naraku to an eternal life unless you killed him yourself or Kouga forgave him. She didn't seem to think either would happen seeing as you were both dead."

"How does Onigumo tie into this?" Miroku demanded, taking authority to lead the discussion towards resolution.

"He found the young slave woman, forced her to include him on Naraku's curse. Apparently the idea of living forever held merits for him. But he didn't want to have to constantly deal with the morals of his son interfering. He had come to me soon afterwards, I altered the curse. Little did I know that he sought my help because he killed the young woman until later," Kaede answered.

She paused for a moment, her eye looking into the distance towards a vision only she could see. "If Naraku were to be loved by Kagome then he would live a mortal life by her side, leaving Onigumo as the only one 'cursed' to immortality."

"But since, Kouga forgave Naraku he was able to move on and that made the original curse end, thus destroying Onigumo." Kagome replied in comprehension.

"Glad you understand child," Kaede answered. "I'll be going now."

"Wait!" Inuyasha grabbed hold of the old woman's sleeve. "Who are you exactly?"

"No one you need to worry your simple minded little head about," Kaede grinned before disappearing in a mist before their very eyes.

Dr. Suikotsu raised a hand to his forehead. "I can't think of any reason why I would be having these hallucinations," he muttered to himself.

"You aren't hallucinating unless we've all got the same hallucinations," Sango assured him as she nervously ran her fingers through her hair. She grinned at Kagome and then moved to launch herself at her dear friend.

Sesshoumaru's quick reflexes prevented that as he pulled Kagome out of her reach possessively. Inuyasha chuckled nervously. He was still shocked to see his brother and unsure how to approach him now that he saw he was alive and well.

"You really must learn to share big brother," Inuyasha teased.

Sesshoumaru looked down at his younger sibling and felt a rush of brotherly affection he never knew he had before. He allowed Sango to hug Kagome as he pulled Inuyasha into his own embrace. "Thank you for being there for me little brother," Sesshoumaru whispered quietly in his ear so that no others could hear.

Embarrassed, Inuyasha tried to ignore the tear that fell from his eye as he punched his brother hard in the shoulder. "It was nothing, just an excuse so I didn't have to find some loser part time job for after school."

"Um, so Kagome," Miroku began gaining her attention. "Where are your mom and little brother? It may be kind of hard to explain everything to them."

"I'm not sure," Kagome admitted as she bit her lip, helpless tears welling in her eyes. Sesshoumaru glared coldly at the man that brought up the subject. Granted he was curious himself, but he didn't think it needed to be added to all the other confusion.

Instinctively, Sesshoumaru held Kagome in his arms once again. Her hands fisted in the front of his shirt, brushing against his well honed muscles.

Dr. Suikotsu solved the mystery for them. He scratched his dark head before answering as he decided to not think too deeply on the strange events of the day. "Last I knew; they were at the hospital visiting your grandfather."

"What?" Kagome asked in obvious disbelief, as she stared at him over Sesshoumaru's broad shoulder.

"Your grandfather was having surgery to remove his gall bladder. I thought for sure someone would have told you," he trailed off, vision going once again to the clothes and bones. "Well, perhaps it slipped your step father's mind to share that information with you."

"Yes, perhaps it did," Sesshoumaru mocked as his fingers squeezed the upper muscles of Kagome's arms. It felt so wonderful to actually be able to feel her and hold her in his embrace. Too many nights he had longed for this.

He might not remember the story of their past life, as he had a fair idea of the one she lived two centuries ago. He did know that by choosing to become human in that previous life he made the right decision.

**OOOOOoooooOOOOOoooooOOOOO******

"Get your own!" Shippo complained as he pulled the bag of popcorn out of Rin's greedy little reach. Green and brown eyes met in a contest of wills.

"You don't need to eat all that! Besides I don't want to miss anything," Rin pouted as she tried once more, unsuccessfully to grab another handful of popcorn.

"Now children, honestly, must you behave like this?" Kouga teased as he walked towards his companions of the past two centuries with his old friend Kagewaki-Naraku walking beside him.

The two youth acknowledged Naraku with a brief nod before turning to watch the scenes unfold. They saw Inuyasha kick aside the remains of what had been Onigumo and they both snickered. Rin managed to get another handful of popcorn at that distraction.

"Looks like mom and pops are finally together," Shippo commented.

Kouga folded his arms over his chest and resigned himself to watch the love in Kagome's eyes be directed towards another. He knew that the man standing beside him felt the same bittersweet happiness for the scene.

Naraku cleared his throat, earning the attention of the three. Rin snapped her fingers and the image of the scene on earth disappeared. "So what is there to do around here?"

Shippo grinned. "Well now that you're here, Kouga can finally leave this rotten limbo and I can show you guys what heaven is really like."

Kouga cast a suddenly frantic look over towards the creek of his own imagination and his beloved tree. A small hand held his reassuringly and Rin smiled at him. "It's okay Kouga; it's time for you to move on as well."

Naraku grinned at Kouga. "Let's not dwell in the past; it's time to look forward to the adventure of the future."

**TBC**


	15. CG XV

**CG XV: Epilogue**

The young couple was walking hand in hand down the pathway in the city park. They seemed completely wrapped up in one another and oblivious to the rest of the world. Truly it was amazing just how quickly two people could become attached to one another and fall in love so irreversibly.

Kagome burst out laughing when the man beside her on the park bench began to tickle her rib cage and draw her out of her subconscious thoughts. She slapped away the strong, lean hand from her ticklish spot and moved them towards her lips where she kissed the palm.

Sesshoumaru smiled at his fiancé even though she thwarted his attempts to make her suffer under his tickling assault. He gave a fake pout complete with puppy dog eyes as he leaned in close to press his forehead gently against hers. "You spoil my fun. I like watching you squirm under my ministrations." He dipped his lips towards hers and kissed her briefly.

As soon as her eyes began to take on that dreamy look that he could always count on inspiring he drew back and looked back towards the pair of teenagers walking hand in hand along the path that ran along the outer ring of the park.

"So what do you know about her?" He asked, in reference to his little brother's girl friend of the last three months. Sesshoumaru settled his arm around Kagome's torso and pulled her towards him on the bench. He smiled to himself when she gave a frustrated sigh before melting against him, as he knew she would.

"Well, she seems really nice. She's a sophomore and she started Shikon High right after I withdrew. I didn't have any classes with her, but apparently she and Inuyasha ended up in Health class together during the semester before graduation." Kagome explained.

"Hmmm," Sesshoumaru acknowledged her answer as he laced the fingers of his right hand with hers. Idly he rubbed his ring finger over her ring finger, feeling the band of her senior class ring. It was an alright ring; however, it paled in comparison to the platinum band on her other hand.

"Something on your mind?" Kagome asked as she lifted her face up to his.

"Not especially," Sesshoumaru answered as he dipped his face to nuzzle against her cheek. He inhaled lightly her fresh scent and was reminded of the garden in which they first made love. That particular memory made his heart drum happily in his chest.

"Well, I think everything will work out just fine between Inuyasha and Rin," Kagome remarked.

"I'm sure you're right," Sesshoumaru agreed. The name of the young teen reminded him of something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was a memory of some sort floating at the edge of his consciousness.

"Did I mention that gramps is walking without his cane now?" Kagome inquired quietly, the comfort she felt with Sesshoumaru always relaxed her.

"Hmmm, yes I believe you mentioned he was forced to learn to get around without the cane when Souta decided to hide it from him, for his own good." Sesshoumaru spoke softly in her ear, nibbling on her lobe between every few words.

"Do you ever wonder what happened to us in the past?" Kagome asked after a few minutes of solitude passed between the two lovers. She pulled out the hair tie that held his long silvery mane in an organized assembly at the base of his neck. Nimble fingers ran through the silky mass that fell to the man's waist.

"Sure," Sesshoumaru replied without hesitation as he felt himself being lulled to sleep with her fingers running through his hair. The light tugging of his scalp was a little too soothing to remain fully cognoscente.

"Well obviously we were in love," Kagome began, but was stopped when Sesshoumaru moved away from her ear and found her mouth. After making sure she was breathless he pulled back.

"Obviously," he agreed.

Kagome pulled his arrogant lips back to hers with a firm tug on his scalp courtesy of his silvery mane of hair. "I'm guessing you turned human and we had children and all that jazz."

"Yes, and all that jazz." Sesshoumaru answered. He was about to kiss her again when a frisbee came sailing towards their heads. With reflexes that no normal athlete could even boast of, he retrieved the flying disk and saved Kagome from having a sound bruising at her temple.

A little boy, no more than possibly eight came running over apologetic. He took the frisbee from Sesshoumaru's extended hand. "Gee mister, miss, I'm really sorry about that. My dog was supposed to catch that. I didn't mean to hit you, honest." His emerald eyes turned to glare at the small white dog that was trailing at his feet.

"No harm done but be more careful," Sesshoumaru gently scolded the young boy before he ran off with his dog once more.

"You handled that very well," Kagome complemented.

Sesshoumaru didn't comment for a while. Bits and pieces of odd memories from his time as an astral projection came to mind. There was something about that red-haired boy with the green eyes that was oddly familiar. He had the same feeling of de-ja-vu the first time he met Inuyasha's girlfriend. He shrugged off the feeling.

"You'll make a great father one day," Kagome continued, watching his face for any signs of a reaction.

Golden eyes grew large and Sesshoumaru grabbed hold of both his fiance's shoulders and turned her to face him. "We're pregnant?" He asked, not sure if he was panicked or excited.

Kagome burst out laughing at his expression. "No silly, I was just saying!"

"Oh," Sesshoumaru wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed. He looked over towards the red haired boy with his dog silently. Kagome tugged on his chin and forced him to meet her eyes.

"I'm sure we will be one day," she assured him.

Sesshoumaru gave her a look that defined the term narcissism. "Maybe we should work on populating the entire world with our offspring. We can replace the vermin of the world with our superior genetics."

Kagome searched his expression and seeing no hint of jest burst out laughing. "Oh how I adore you!" She exclaimed with a joyful mirth in her eye giving him a quick hug.

"Faith has an odd way of working out," Sesshoumaru commented, dead serious. "I would have never thought that night of the accident that such a thing could possibly result."

"Don't worry; I'm sure we'll have plenty of other exciting adventures to pass the time in the future." Kagome moved her arms to wrap around his neck and press her body firmly against his.

"That's what I'm afraid of my love," Sesshoumaru teased.

"Hey you two, knock it out. Some of us don't like watching you procreate on the middle of a park bench," Inuyasha's voice penetrated the cloud of desire and love that surrounded the two.

Sesshoumaru turned to glare at his younger sibling as he and Kagome stood and faced the dark haired man and his little girlfriend. "See what I mean?" He asked Kagome, not turning away from his brother's confused look. "We need to work on replacing the ignorant vermin as soon as possible."

"What are you talking about? Are you calling me a vermin?" Inuyasha's face grew crimson at his brother's obvious taunting.

The two brothers squared off, temporarily leaving their women out of the fire. "So, do you have any exciting plans for the summer?" Kagome asked Rin conversationally, trying with great effort to ignore the scene of her fiancé giving his younger brother a noogie.

Rin was also doing a valiant job of ignoring her boyfriend trying to yank his older brother's underwear up to give a wedgy. "I think Inuyasha and I might make a trip across country and enjoy the scenery."

"Right, scenery," Kagome agreed growing distracted. She didn't like watching Inuyasha's efforts to give Sesshoumaru a wedgy and promptly intervened by prying her peer's hands away from his brother's waist.

Sesshoumaru stepped back and released his brother from his headlock. He turned towards Kagome with a question in his golden eyes. Kagome tugged on a long strand of hair to pull his ear towards her lips. "I didn't want to risk him endangering the merchandise."

Sesshoumaru burst out laughing, his joyous bellows causing his younger sibling to gap at him. He reached out and tapped Inuyasha's chin, effectively shutting his pie-hole. He lifted Kagome into his arms and proceeded to carry her away from the other couple towards his car. "Good point, lets make sure everything is still in working condition, shall we?"

**_That's it! That's the real end! I hope that you have enjoyed this tale as I have enjoyed sharing the workings of my imagination with you all. I have appreciated your support and hope to see you all in the future with some of my other works which now includes a novel published via authorhouse. Check out my profile page for the link to Heart of a Wolf.  
_**


End file.
